


War Drums

by All_My_Characters_Are_Dead



Series: Mages and Familiars [16]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, No one wanted this much suffering but I wrote it anyway, Pretty much everyone will be in this one, no one is safe, this is a war so people are gonna die
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-06
Updated: 2016-02-18
Packaged: 2018-05-18 16:09:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 19
Words: 24,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5934598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/All_My_Characters_Are_Dead/pseuds/All_My_Characters_Are_Dead
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>War was declared when Moonlit Shadows attacked Karasuno. Now, Karasuno and their allies are heading to Aoba Josei's Guild Hall, while Aoba Josei makes preparations for the coming battles and their enemies regroup. War is upon the Mage Guilds, and unless Karasuno and its allies can find out who's pulling the strings, they may not be able to survive, let alone win.</p><p>Or: The War Is Upon Us and No One Is Ready</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Battle to Come

"We're back!" Oikawa sang out as he and Iwaizumi appeared in the courtyard of their Guild Hall. Several mages and familiars who had been relaxing in said courtyard acknowledged the return, some waving or calling a greeting, others groaning and rolling their eyes. "Mattsun, Makki, Kindaichi, Kunimi, office, please," the Guildmaster called, already on the move, headed into the fortress-like Guild Hall. Two mages and their familiars followed Oikawa and Iwaizumi. Once they were in the office Oikawa used when he needed to meet with his top mages, Iwaizumi closed the door, then leaned against it. The other two familiars, Hanamaki and Kunimi, glanced at the war god, noting the tension in his posture.

"So where did you two go off to this time?" asked the older of the other two mages asked.

"We met with Karasuno and their allies, Matsukawa," Iwaizumi answered.

"Those crows yesterday were right. There's a war coming," Oikawa announced. "Karasuno, Nekoma, and a couple of independent mages will be joining us here. Mattsun, Makki, I want you two to take a few mages and scout the area. Kindaichi, Kunimi, make sure we have provisions and space for everyone. Iwa-chan, could you check our defenses?" Iwaizumi moved away from the door, and the other four left. Once they were gone, Iwaizumi closed the door behind them and leaned against it again, arms crossed and gaze fixed on Oikawa. "Iwa-chan? What's wrong?"

"You've told me about several previous familiars you've had, but nothing you've told me would explain why that short hybrid's familiar would be so angry with you about them. I get the feeling you're not telling me something," Iwaizumi said. Oikawa smiled brightly.

"What do you mean, Iwa-chan?"

"Cut the crap, Oikawa. You can't lie to me. You can try, but you know I can tell," the familiar growled. "And with Karasuno coming here, it'll come up. So just tell me what's going on." Oikawa's smile faded, and he sighed.

"I don't suppose you could just let me keep this to myself?" Oikawa asked. Iwaizumi just raised an eyebrow, and Oikawa sighed again. "That angry familiar used to be mine," he admitted. "The last one I had before you showed up. Kageyama...he and I didn't part on very good terms."

"Why did you sever his bond?" the war god asked. The mage was silent for a moment.

"If it were anyone else, I'd say it was his awful personality," Oikawa said finally.

"Like you're one to talk," Iwaizumi snorted.

"Mean, Iwa-chan!" Oikawa pouted. His familiar chuckled, then tilted his head.

"But since it is me, what was your reason?" he asked.

"He's good, Iwa-chan. Really good. His skills at manipulating other people's magic are almost as good as mine - or they were, years ago when he was my familiar." There was a pause, and Iwaizumi waited, knowing from years of experience that the enchanter would continue eventually, as long as his familiar kept giving him the same level look. "I got scared, okay? If a familiar could do what I could, what use would I be?" Oikawa stared down at his hands. Iwaizumi decided that he'd done enough leaning sternly against the door and took a few steps forward, resting his hands on the desk and leaning toward the mage.

"So you severed his bond because you were afraid. I'm guessing you didn't tell him that." When Oikawa didn't answer, his familiar sighed. "You're human. Sometimes you do stupid things." Oikawa let out an indignant squawk, but Iwaizumi kept talking. "I'm more worried about why you didn't tell me about Kageyama, and why I didn't hear you say anything against his suggestion of you severing our bond and asking me to kill all of your enemies."

"You told him no. Isn't that enough?" Oikawa replied lightly. Iwaizumi didn't answer, so Oikawa finally looked up and met his familiar's serious gaze. "I'm not considering severing our bond, and I never will. I promise, Hajime." For a moment, they studied each other. Then Iwaizumi nodded, apparently satisfied, and Oikawa relaxed. "Besides, you know too much about my weaknesses. I couldn't let you go off and tell anyone!" Iwaizumi grumbled and reached over the desk for the mage, who scooted his chair back to avoid being grabbed. "Don't you have defenses to check, Iwa-chan?"

"And you need to fill the rest of the Guild in on the situation. With Matsukawa and Hanamaki scouting the area, checking the defenses can wait. People might think we're in serious danger if I'm not with you when you tell them what's going on," he replied.

"You don't think having a big, strong war god at my back will make people more nervous?" Oikawa countered. Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow. "Okay, okay, you're right. Let's go tell everyone our big news, Iwa-chan! Then I'll check the defenses with you!" Iwaizumi nodded, then turned to the door and opened it, his characteristic scowl in place.

"You four are supposed to be long gone," he growled, glaring at the two mages and their familiars who had been listening at the door. They squeaked and scattered, and Iwaizumi sighed. "Oikawa, your Guild members are undisciplined, just like their Guildmaster," he announced. Oikawa smirked as he slipped past Iwaizumi, out of the office.

"You should discipline their Guildmaster, then," Oikawa replied lightly as he set off down the hallway. Iwaizumi paused, processing that, then followed him, scowling at the mage's back.


	2. The Battle on the Horizon

It took a week for Karasuno and the mages traveling with them to reach the town where Aoba Josei's Guild Hall was. When they crested a ridge and found themselves looking down at the town, several members of Karasuno did a double-take.

"Let me guess," Daichi sighed. "The Guild Hall is there?" He pointed, indicating what appeared to be a castle on the far side of the town, constructed entirely of blue-grey stone.

"Of course," Kuroo replied, grinning. "I wonder if they've gotten the scorch marks off the back wall from the time Bokuto convinced some of the higher-ranking mages to spar." Bokuto grinned sheepishly, and Akaashi shook his head at him.

"Should we go through the town or around it?" Ennoshita questioned.

"Through! Please? We've been rushing around for days!" Hinata complained. Daichi and Suga exchanged thoughtful glances, then turned to Kuroo, who shrugged.

"It might be god to wind down and stroll through the town a bit before we approach Aoba Josei," the Nekoma Guildmaster replied. "Besides, some of my people might be here already. I want to poke around."

"No sparring," Kenma murmured. Kuroo ruffled his familiar's hair, earning him a sharp glare.

"No sparring, I promise," he assured him. Kenma eyed him appraisingly for a moment, then nodded.

"All right. Through the town it is," Daichi agreed. Hinata beamed and bolted off, down the ridge toward the town. Kageyama shouted something about 'no head starts' and darted after him. Daichi shook his head, and Suga laughed softly.

Hinata skidded to a stop, eyes wide as he took in the bustling marketplace he found himself in. He looked around, wondering where Kageyama got to. He'd heard his familiar give chase after he'd run toward the town, but once he got into the square, he hadn't heard Kageyama's voice behind him anymore. The hybrid mage frowned, then spotted a stall selling enchanted charms and grinned. He walked up to the stall, smiling at the charms on display. Some of them were similar to charms he'd seen Daichi make and use around the Guild Hall.

A hand closed around Hinata's wrist, and he turned, expecting Kageyama to have finally caught up. Instead, he found someone he barely recognized, and his eyes widened.

"Izumi? What are you doing here?" Hinata asked, tilting his head in confusion. "Did you leave Windswept, too?" The lightning mage, who had been the one to encourage Hinata to leave Windswept and go to Karasuno for help controlling his magic, shook his head.

"Come with me," Izumi ordered. Hinata glanced around, but didn't see any of his fellow Karasuno members or anyone else he recognized. Without Kageyama, Hinata couldn't use his magic. "If you try to get away, just remember that your control is as terrible as ever without Kageyama. You'd probably incinerate innocent people."

"What? How do you know about Kageyama?" Hinata demanded. Izumi started walking, pulling Hinata with him, without answering. The hybrid mage followed, debating reaching for his magic, but decided against doing so. The one thing he'd managed to do on his own since taking Kageyama as his familiar was to keep his magic from erupting without him reaching for it. He still couldn't control his power once he got it going, though. So he let Izumi lead him out of town, to the bank of a stream, where a huge stone tunnel led back underneath the town. "Where are we going?" Hinata asked.

"Just follow me," Izumi ordered. Hinata did, letting himself be led into an a side tunnel that opened into a small chamber, where several people were waiting.

"Good job, Izumi," purred a woman in the middle of the room, her violet eyes shining in the dimness of the underground. "Sekimukai is waiting for you at your temporary quarters."

"Thank you, Warden," Izumi replied, releasing Hinata's wrist and bowing. Then he turned and left. Hinata took a step after his former friend, but stopped when he heard the woman's voice again.

"Hinata Shouyou, hybrid mage. You slipped through my fingers when you left Windswept," she said. "But now, you're going to be of use to me. You stay here, and don't cause any trouble. But then, without Kageyama's skill, you're not terribly troublesome anyway. Still..." She walked closer, her violet eyes shining dangerously. "If you lose control down here, there are lots of vents to the town above us. You could kill dozens of people if you use your magic. Keep that in mind." Then she walked past him, calling over her shoulder to the others, "Keep him quiet, but alive. We wouldn't want Kageyama to sense him dying." Then the woman with the violet eyes left, and the others moved forward, blocking the tunnel. Hinata's eyes narrowed, and he considered reaching for his magic again. One of the guards pointed to the ceiling, and Hinata's gaze followed the motion automatically. The little light there was came through a grate above them, and Hinata realized he could faintly hear the voices of people above him.

"Don't worry. If your friends cooperate, the Warden will give you back to them," one of the guards assured him. Hinata scowled.

"And if they don't, I call dibs on the familiar. The Warden seems impressed with him, so he's got to be good," another guard replied. Hinata's scowl deepened, and the damp underground air stirred.

"Shut up," the first guard snapped. "I don't want to get fried along with the civilians above us."

"I didn't think he'd be so touchy," the second one replied. "I forgot that Karasuno mages are into their familiars as more than-"

"I said shut up. Or I'll tell the Warden that you provoked the hybrid." The second guard shut up, and the first one shook his head. "That's what I thought."

"So what is it that the lady with the purple eyes wants?" Hinata asked, not knowing what else to say.

"The Warden? Oh, she wants to win," the second guard replied.

"Win? Win what?" the hybrid mage grumbled. The guards exchanged glances, then shrugged.

"The war, of course," the first one said.


	3. The Battle Plan

"Hinata probably just went ahead to the Guild Hall," Daichi assured a sullen Kageyama, who had returned to the group after loosing Hinata in the town market. The familiar had been hoping that the hybrid mage had returned to the rest of their Guild, but no such luck. "Come on. Let's head for Aoba Josei. If Hinata isn't there, then we'll send out search parties," the Karasuno Guildmaster said. Kageyama nodded reluctantly and followed the others to the castle. As they reached the gates, they were met by a mage and familiar Kageyama recognized.

"Welcome to Aoba Josei's Guild Hall. My name is Kindaichi Yuutarou, and this is my familiar, Kunimi. We'll show you to the guest wing, where we have rooms prepared for all of you," the mage announced, refusing to look at Kageyama.

"One of our mages ran ahead of the main group. Has he arrived yet?" Daichi asked. Kindaichi frowned, glanced over the group, noting the way each mage stood closest to their familiar, and then finally focused on Kageyama, the only person standing alone.

"You lost your mage again, Kageyama?" Kindaichi asked. "Can't say I'm surprised." Kageyama growled and advanced on the Aoba Josei mage, ready to throttle him. Kunimi stepped forward, not-so-subtly promising to intercept Kageyama before he reached the mage. Suga halted Kageyama's advance first, though, grabbing the other familiar's arm and pulling him back.

"Is Hinata here?" Daichi asked again, tone sharpening. Kindaichi shrugged.

"Not unless he managed to get past Kunimi. And no one gets past Kunimi," he answered. "Your mage probably got lost in town. I'll send someone out to collect him."

"That's not a good idea," an unfamiliar voice announced from behind the newly arrived mages. They turned and found a young man about Hinata's age and a familiar in the form of a black bear. "Anyone who tries to find Hinata before the condition is fulfilled will be killed." Shock and tension shot through the assembled mages and familiars.

"What do you mean?" Kageyama snapped, fingers curling into fists.

"Hinata Shouyou is the Warden's guest. I'm Izumi Yukitaka, and this is my familiar, Sekimukai. We're members of the Windswept Mage Guild. If you want Hinata back, you'll have to fulfill the condition. If you attack me, you'll be sentencing him to death," the mage said calmly. Tanaka scowled and stalked toward the pair, but Ennoshita seized the back of his shirt, stopping him.

"What's the condition?" Kuroo asked, shifting so he was between Kageyama and the Windswept pair. After all, if they did have Hinata, and Kageyama attacked, no matter how powerful a hybrid Hinata was, he would be in trouble facing who knew how many enemy mages by himself, with no control.

"Aoba Josei's Guildmaster must sever his bond with the war god Iwaizumi, and send him back to the village he came from," Izumi said, his gaze flitting from Kuroo, to Kageyama, to the Aoba Josei pair, to Karasuno's Guildmaster. "You might want to hurry. After all, without his familiar, Hinata's control is just as bad as it was the last time I saw him, or so I've heard." The lightning mage turned and walked away from the castle, his black bear familiar at his side, leaving the group by the entrance stunned into silence, even the ones known for being exceedingly loud.

"Oikawa won't go for it," Kindaichi said after several minutes. "There's no way."

"I don't care if he goes for it or not; we have to get Hinata back," Kageyama snapped, marching up to the Aoba Josei mage. "Open the Guild Hall doors. I'm going to find Oikawa."

"Kageyama, let me talk to Oikawa. You weren't exactly polite the last time you spoke to him," Daichi reminded him. "Kuroo, you probably know your way around already. Would you and Kenma keep Kageyama company?" The Nekoma Guildmaster nodded, and Daichi turned to the Aoba Josei pair. "If someone could show my Guild members to their rooms, and someone could take me and my familiar to see your Guildmaster, that would be appreciated." Kindaichi nodded and opened the Guild Hall door. Suga blinked, noting the spark of magic as the heavy-looking door swung open.

"I'll take you to Oikawa's office," he replied. "Kunimi?"

"The rest of you, follow me," the familiar replied. Moments later, Kageyama was left in the entryway with Kuroo, Bokuto, and their familiars.

Without a word, Kuroo set off down a side hallway, Bokuto bouncing along at his side, and their familiars following quietly. Unsure what else to do, Kageyama trailed after them. Kuroo opened a door, stuck his head into the room, then walked in, calling over his shoulder, "It's empty!" The others followed, Akaashi closing the door behind them as Bokuto summoned several small balls of fire and set them hovering around the group, lighting the room. "All right. Oikawa's not going to agree to the enemy's demands. Partly out of pride, and partly because he'd be lost without Iwaizumi. So we need to come up with a plan while Daichi is talking to Oikawa." Kageyama blinked.

"We could sever the bond ourselves, if it comes down to it," Kenma said quietly.

"But you'd have to know what the bond name Oikawa used is," Bokuto pointed out. Kenma and Kuroo exchanged sly glances that made Kageyama instantly suspicious.

"How many bond names do you two know?" Akaashi sighed.

"Well, we don't know Kageyama's current name," Kuroo replied. "But only because we haven't had much contact with Karasuno since Hinata joined." Bokuto's eyes widened, and he glanced nervously at Akaashi.

"So you know...?" the fire mage began. Kuroo smirked and rested a hand on Kenma's shoulder.

"Well, I don't know many of them. Kenma is the one who knows," the Nekoma Guildmaster admitted. Kenma nodded, then moved closer to Akaashi, who leaned down a little so the shorter familiar could whisper in his ear. Akaashi blinked, then straightened, glancing at Bokuto and nodding. Bokuto gaped at them.

"So you know Iwaizumi's bond name?" Kageyama asked. Kenma nodded.

"If I tell you, you have to promise to only use it as a last resort," Kenma replied. "And only to save Hinata's life, not to get back at Oikawa for abandoning you." Kageyama froze, then scowled at Kenma.

"I don't want to know how you know about that," he growled. "But I promise. Just tell me." Akaashi nodded thoughtfully to himself, as though something had been confirmed, and Kageyama supposed it had. If Akaashi hadn't been sure before why he thought he recognized Kageyama, he knew now. Kenma approached Kageyama, who leaned down to hear what the shorter familiar had to say.

"Hajime," came the barely-audible whisper. Then Kenma took a step back. "Now, we need a plan so we don't have to resort to that."

"Whoever this Warden the messenger mentioned is, we should find them and take them out," Akaashi said. Kuroo sighed.

"It's not that simple. Even Kenma and I don't know exactly who the Warden is, just that they're a high-ranking member of Windswept. I couldn't say if they're a mage or familiar, or even if they're male or female. Windswept keeps quiet, and I don't know if anyone outside the Guild has ever met them. We have no idea what abilities they have, or what they look like. For all we know, the Warden doesn't actually exist," Kuroo said with a grimace.

"Our best bet is to keep Oikawa and Iwaizumi as far from any scouts Windswept and Moonlit Shadows might have in the area as possible. Then, if we can stage a commotion so it looks like Oikawa is protesting severing the bond, and we're trying to force him to do it, we can use that as a cover to send a small team after Hinata," Kenma suggested.

"But who would we send on that team?" Akaashi asked.

"Not you two," Kenma answered. "If Oikawa is supposed to be protesting, Bokuto is the mage with the most raw power, the obvious choice to force Oikawa to sever Iwaizumi's bond."

"Does that mean we're going to spar with Oikawa and Iwaizumi?" Bokuto interrupted giddily. Akaashi sighed.

"This isn't necessarily the plan we're going to use," the forest spirit pointed out. Then he turned to Kageyama. "You have to go with the group to find Hinata, or he'll be a liability instead of an asset while he's being rescued. Do you have any Guild members you work well with?"

"I don't know about getting along, but Ennoshita and Tanaka are a good pair to have on your side, even if Tanaka usually charges in and gets a lot of little injuries," Kageyama said thoughtfully. "Asahi and Nishinoya are a strong pair, too."

"Asahi," Kuroo said immediately. "His water magic will help contain any out of control magic from Hinata."

"Nishinoya is well known, even outside of his bond with Asahi," Kenma added. "He's got defensive skills rivaling Yaku's." Kageyama blinked. He'd known Noya was strong, and he had no idea who Yaku was, but he knew high praise when he heard it.

"So our suggestion for when Oikawa refuses to sever his bond with Iwaizumi is staging a fight between them and Bokuto, then sending Kageyama, Asahi, and Nishinoya to find Hinata while we hope the enemy thinks we're all focused on forcing Aoba Josei to comply," Akaashi summarized.

"You say that like you won't be fighting alongside your mage," Kuroo observed. Akaashi's lips twitched upwards in a small almost-smirk.

"Of course. All I would have to do is let Iwaizumi land one hit, and Oikawa would be spending the rest of his very short life staring down a very angry Bokuto," the familiar explained. "Which wouldn't make for a very good distraction. So, like I did when Karasuno was attacked, I'll stay in a safe place behind Bokuto if this sparring match happens."

"You have a point," Kenma mused. "It would be bad if we got Hinata back, only to end up with Oikawa dead and Iwaizumi out for blood."


	4. The Battle Begins

"You can't actually expect me to go along with that," Oikawa snapped. He sat behind his desk, Iwaizumi leaning against the wall behind him, posture not quite threatening. Daichi shook his head.

"Of course I don't expect you to do it. After all, as much as I feel responsible for Hinata, I wouldn't cut my bond with Suga to save him. But I do expect you to cooperate with our rescue attempt," he replied. Oikawa frowned, apparently unconvinced, but it was Iwaizumi who spoke.

"I thought the messenger kid - Izumi, right? - said that Hinata would be killed if anyone tried to find him," the war god pointed out. Daichi nodded, and Suga smiled slightly.

"I'm sure Kuroo and Kenma will figure something out. We left them in charge of Kageyama, and I think I saw Bokuto and Akaashi stay behind with them, so between the five of them, they've probably come up with a plan by now," the gray haired familiar said casually. Before the full implication of Suga's words could sink in, the office door burst open, and Bokuto bounced into the room as though he had been summoned just by being mentioned.

"Okay, here's the plan," the fire Mage announced, grinning at Oikawa and Iwaizumi. "You two are gonna fight me!" There was a long, astonished moment of silence.

"Why would we fight you?" Oikawa asked.

"Unless you're going to try to sever our bond by force," Iwaizumi added. "In which case, we'll beat you to a pulp."

"Actually..." Bokuto's voice trailed off as Iwaizumi's posture was suddenly incredibly threatening. Bokuto raised his hands defensively. "Whoa, hold up. Wait for Kuroo to tell you the rest before you attack, okay?" Iwaizumi's gaze didn't waver from glaring at Bokuto, but Oikawa glanced behind the fire mage and raised his eyebrows at Kuroo, who was lurking in the doorway.

"Kageyama is collecting Asahi and Nishinoya," Nekoma's Guildmaster said casually. "The three of them are going to fetch the little guy. But they'll only succeed if the Warden - whoever that is - has a really good reason to believe her plan is working. If we show them what they want to see, the rescue team will have a shot."

"And what is it that you think the Warden and their minions want to see?" Daichi asked.

"Us divided, tearing ourselves apart from the inside," Kenma answered, peering around Kuroo. "So we're going to stage a battle, make it look like we're trying to break the bond by force. That should draw enough attention to let Kageyama and the others get through unnoticed."

"And where is Kageyama now?" Daichi asked as Oikawa nodded thoughtfully, turning the plan over in his mind.

"He just left with Asahi and Nishinoya, through those tunnels Oikawa thinks are secret," Kenma replied calmly. Oikawa and Iwaizumi eyed the feline familiar with something approaching resignation.

"And how are they going to find Hinata?" Iwaizumi questioned.

"Kageyama has probably picked up Suga's little sensing tricks," Oikawa replied. "That would make the most sense."

"Kageyama is getting very good at sensing specific people," Suga replied. "But Nishinoya is an earth spirit. He's very good at finding people when they're too far away to be identified by magic. Though I don't want to know how you knew to send those two, Kuroo," he added, eyeing the Nekoma Guildmaster warily. Kuroo smirked.

"Nishinoya was well known before he bonded with Asahi," he said. "Now, you should hurry up and start fighting, or those three will get noticed." Bokuto nodded, then summoned a ball of fire and threw it at Oikawa, who yelped and swatted at the ball, redirecting it out the window over his shoulder.

Below the fortress that was Aoba Josei's Guild Hall, Nishinoya loped along the tunnel in his sun bear form, Asahi on his heels and Kageyama jogging to keep up.

"Why don't we head above ground?" Kageyama asked. Asahi glanced at him, then shrugged.

"Noya always knows which way is fastest," the water mage said. "But he can't really explain how he knows. Trust me, I've asked him several times."

"Is that why Daichi sent you two to help Ennoshita and Tanaka?" Kageyama asked. Asahi shook his head.

"We got picked for that because Tanaka and Nishinoya work really well together. They were best friends before they became familiars, and were thrilled when Ennoshita and I ended up in the same Guild," the water mage said. Ahead of them, Nishinoya picked up his pace without warning, sprinting down the tunnel to where it met anther tunnel, turning the corner with a snarl. Asahi sped up, mist gathering around him as he, too, rounded the corner. Kageyama darted after them, turned, and paused to take in the scene. Nishinoya was wrestling with what looked like a large raccoon. Asahi's mist swirled, blocking the view of what was probably the mage whose familiar Nishinoya was fighting. Kageyama looked past them, spotting two guards - probably mages without familiars, since he didn't see any other animals - and beyond them, a small figure with bright orange hair. These guards were keeping him from Hinata, who he was supposed to always stay beside to keep his magic controlled. Kageyama decided those two guards shouldn't live to regret coming between a mage and his familiar.

"That's my mage!" Kageyama growled, surging forward and changing to his crow form. He flew past the pair Asahi and Noya were facing off with, heading straight for the guards between him and Hinata. They spotted him and gathered their magic, but Kageyama was on them too fast for them to do more than that. He changed to human form as he hit the first one, and felt Hinata's magic rising. Kageyama seized the guard's throat as they went down, Kageyama on top of his enemy. The familiar felt the air stir with his mage's power, but Kageyama didn't reach out to mold it. Instead, he clenched his fingers with all the strength of having been made to wait this long to even try to find Hinata. The guard's body spasmed and went limp. Kageyama lurched to his feet and found the other guard pinned to the ground, Hinata sitting on his chest.

"You took your time," Hinata commented. Then he frowned at the guard whose throat Kageyama had just crushed. "You killed him."

"We're in the middle of a war, dumbass," Kageyama replied. "People are going to die. Besides, anyone who tries to keep me from you is doomed." Hinata sighed and nodded.

"I know. At least you killed the mean one and not the nice one," the hybrid mage commented. Kageyama frowned.

"The mean one? Did they hurt you?" the familiar demanded. Hinata shook his head.

"He just said some things about you that I didn't like," he answered. "Let's leave this one alive, okay? He's just doing what he's told, the same as Izumi." Kageyama blinked.

"Izumi? That's the one who came to give us the Warden's demands for your safe return," the familiar said. Hinata tilted his head.

"What demands?" he asked.

"It's not important now," Kageyama replied. "Let's get back to the Guild Hall, before Bokuto goes overboard." Hinata opened his mouth to ask what he meant by that, but Kageyama just grabbed him and pulled him to his feet, then turned to check on Noya and Asahi. The pair's opponents were attached to the tunnel ceiling, one encased in rock and the other in ice.

"Ready?" Asahi asked. Kageyama nodded and towed Hinata toward them, glancing back at the short mage to scan him for wounds. He'd said he wasn't hurt, but the familiar wouldn't put it past him to lie about that.

The four of them made it back to the Guild Hall without running into any enemies. When they emerged from the tunnels, they saw why their trip had been so uneventful.

Aoba Josei's Guild Hall was swarming with enemy mages and familiars, battling the Aoba Josei mage's and their allies. The next battle had already begun.


	5. The Battle at Aoba Josei Part One

Oikawa calmly redirected Bokuto's flames, sending them harmlessly into the air. Iwaizumi took the opportunity to move forward, a black sword appearing in his hand as he lashed out at Bokuto. Their battle had made its way out of Oikawa's office, down the halls of Aoba Josei's Guild Hall, and into the courtyard, scattering mages and familiars alike and leaving scorched walls and deep cuts in the stone walls and floor in their wake from Bokuto's magic and the black weapons that kept appearing in Iwaizumi's hands. Akaashi was trailing behind the battle, staying out of the way. Kuroo and Kenma had gone to one of the towers to keep an eye out for their enemies, who they expected to be drawn by the high levels of magical energy the skirmish was broadcasting, and Daichi and Suga were managing the confused and more than slightly frightened mages and familiars who didn't know why the independent fire mage was attacking the Aoba Josei Guildmaster and his familiar.

An explosion at the entrance to the tunnels beneath the castle shook the whole building, and Iwaizumi paused, having been about to throw his sword at Bokuto. The war god glanced at Oikawa, who frowned.

"The rescue team shouldn't be back this soon," the Guildmaster muttered, turning in the direction of the explosion. As he did so, the wall burst outward, spraying chunks of blue-gray rock into the courtyard. Iwaizumi threw himself at Oikawa, tackling the enchanter and shielding him from the debris with his own body. Flames erupted around Bokuto and Akaashi, protecting them, then died down as the rubble settled. There was a moment of stunned silence. Then bolts of lightning shot out of the new hole in the wall. Oikawa redirected them, sending the energy into the ground. Dirt and rubble from the wall sprayed into the air, smoking.

"The Warden wasn't sure you'd actually try to make them sever the bond," Izumi commented, stepping into the courtyard, his black bear familiar at his side and a group of Moonlit Shadows and Windswept mages behind him. A moment later, Daichi and Suga entered the courtyard from the opposite side.

"I thought I sensed him again," Suga muttered, glaring at Izumi, who stared back calmly. The lightning mage's gaze didn't waver as he tilted his head and addressed the people behind him.

"We have our orders. Crush them," he ordered. Then he stepped back, and the mages behind him moved forward, their magic swirling around them as they prepared to attack.

"Oikawa," Daichi growled. "Your Guild Hall, your battle." The Aoba Josei Guildmaster, who was still pinned beneath his protective familiar, nodded and patted said familiar's shoulder.

"Come on, Iwa-chan. We need to find Mattsun," Oikawa said. Iwaizumi stood, pulling Oikawa to his feet at the same time. "Daichi, Bokuto, I'm leaving the courtyard to you." With that, Oikawa turned and strode out of the courtyard, Iwaizumi on his heels. He had to take inventory, guide his people to where they would be most useful, coordinate the defense of his Guild Hall.

The intruders surged forward in a storm of all sorts of magic, only to lash out too close to Akaashi and have their attacks enveloped in a huge wall of flame as Bokuto defended his familiar. While the first line of mages engaged Bokuto, several more faced Daichi and Suga, while the rest followed Izumi into the halls of the castle. Within minutes, enough mages and familiars from Moonlit Shadows and Windswept had entered the castle through the tunnels that there was a battle on nearly every floor, in nearly every hallway.

Kenma shifted to his house cat form as he sensed enemies approaching and waited, perched on the edge of the wall around the top of the tower. Kuroo leaned against the wall, beside him. The trap door leading to their lookout position opened, and three mages climbed out, facing the pair. Kuroo smirked, and the shadows the three cast on the stones beneath them suddenly writhed, tangling around their ankles. The screamed and tried to break free, their focus locked on the shadows holding them down. None of them noticed Kenma launch himself from his perch, shifting to lion form as he did so. They noticed once he bowled them over, but by then it was too late, and Kuroo's shadows enveloped them completely, cutting off their screams.

In the guest quarters, Ennoshita and Tanaka heard shouts and emerged from their room to find Tsukishima standing between Yamaguchi and a cluster of enemies. Kinoshita and Narita were engaging more enemies down the hall. Tsukishima spun illusions of light around the mages advancing on him and Yamaguchi, but they were ignored. Too late, the light mage recognized the enemies as members of Moonlit Shadows, and realized they wouldn't be fooled by his powers. Flames and lighting closed in, and Tsukishima braced himself for an impact that never came, because Tanaka surged forward, his form blurring and changing to the shape of a grizzly bear as he took the hit meant for the cornered pair. Ennoshita barely managed to get a protection charm in place on his familiar's body before the enemy's attack hit him. Ennoshita wondered grumbled something about how impatient and impulsive Tanaka was, then focused on maintaining the protection charm while the grizzly charged their enemies.

Oikawa reached his office, where Matsukawa and Hanamaki were waiting, a map of the Guild Hall already laid out on the desk. Iwaizumi laid a hand on the map, and symbols appeared on it, indicating the locations of their allies and enemies. Oikawa took hold of Iwaizumi's other hand, and Matsukawa and Hanamaki turned to guard the door while the Guildmaster and the war god set about directing the battle, Iwaizumi's war god abilities allowing him to give orders to their people, without having to worry about distance, while Oikawa cast enchantments for each pair in their Guild, enhancing their magic as best he could.

At the tunnel entrance, the rescue party returned to find the castle engulfed in battle.


	6. The Battle at Aoba Josei Part Two

Hinata took one look at the chaos around him, the hole in the wall, revealing the battle raging in the courtyard, and turned to his familiar. Kageyama didn't hesitate; he changed to crow form and flew to Hinata's shoulder, landing and settling himself comfortably as the hybrid's magic stirred. Beside them, Asahi and Nishinoya prepared for battle as well.

"We're going to find Ennoshita and the others," Asahi said. "You coming?" Hinata almost nodded, but paused and glanced over his shoulder. Down the hallway, a familiar figure was sending lighting into two Aoba Josei mages, and a black bear nearby had its claws at one familiar's throat, a second familiar already laying limp on the floor.

"Izumi," Hinata whispered. He shook his head at Asahi. "You go find the others. I'm going to stop Izumi," the hybrid said grimly. Asahi hesitated, then nodded, and he and Nishinoya set off, plunging into the battle. Hinata turned and reached out, flames and wind jumping to answer his call. He saw the weakening of the spasms of the mages Izumi was shocking with his lightning, and made a slashing motion. The flames and wind followed the gesture, Kageyama guiding the magic to move the way Hinata indicated, and a blade of air and fire swept between Izumi and the Aoba Josei members, cutting off the lightning. Izumi turned, the black bear looking up from the familiar it had been pinning, and they both studied Hinata and the crow on his shoulder for a long moment.

"So your familiar really does let you control yourself," Izumi commented, sparks dancing on his fingertips. "You didn't burn either of them just now," he added, nodding to the Aoba Josei mages who were now collapsed against the wall. Hinata's eyes narrowed.

"You're different," the hybrid mage said quietly, walking forward. Izumi didn't move, just watched as Hinata approached. "You used to be so nice, Izumi. You're the one who sent me to Karasuno to get help, to find a familiar. And now...I hardly recognize you. What happened to you?" Izumi tilted his head, and the black bear shifted, muscles tensing as though it was about to lunge for Hinata.

"Sekimukai, wait," Izumi ordered, and the black bear growled, but stepped back, no longer about to attack. "I don't know what you remember about me, but I'm not a kid anymore, Hinata, and neither are you. After I got Sekimukai, I met the Warden. She made us stronger, took away what made us weak. That's why we're going to crush Aoba Josei, and Karasuno, and even Nekoma. You used to belong to Windswept, Hinata. You and Kageyama could join us, get stronger with us. The Warden will take your weaknesses away, too." Hinata lifted a hand to pet Kageyama's wing lightly, and felt his familiar shift, talons gripping Hinata's shoulder more firmly in preparation.

"I don't know what that creepy lady with the purple eyes did to you," Hinata said grimly. "But because we used to be friends, I'll give you a chance to-"

"Surrender? I don't think so," Izumi interrupted. "Sekimu-" Hinata shot forward, flames erupting around him as he closed the distance between himself and Izumi. Sekimukai snarled and lunged to intercept them, only to fall back as invisible blades of wind cut deep, right to the bone. The familiar roared in pain and went down in the same instant that Hinata slammed into Izumi, flames swirling around them both. Izumi sent lightning through his hands as he reached for Hinata's neck, but the electricity vanished when the lightning mage's concentration did, as Hinata's flames bit into the exposed skin of Izumi's arms. Izumi fell back, his back and head hitting the floor hard, and Hinata landed on top of him, flames still raging. Kageyama, crouched low and talons clinging to Hinata's shoulder, dispersed the flames. Hinata got to his feet, but Izumi stayed down, dazed from the impact with the ground, burns covering his arms.

"Get out of here, Izumi," Hinata said, turning and walking toward the sounds of battle in another part of the castle. The lightning mage didn't answer, so Hinata kept walking, searching for a new opponent. Once the hybrid was out of sight, Izumi groaned in pain and tried to sit up, only for a heavy black paw to land on his chest and press him back down. A panther with a white spot on its forehead and bright violet eyes leaned over the lightning mage, claws lightly pricking his chest.

 _I'm disappointed in you, Izumi. You didn't even finish off those two Aoba Josei mages before Hinata and Kageyama beat you. I overestimated your usefulness._ Izumi's eyes widened as the words echoed in his mind.

"Warden, I'll do better, I promise!" the lightning mage protested. The panther shook its head, and its claws sank into Izumi's chest, sliding between his ribs and puncturing his lungs. Izumi let out a choked cry that quickly became a desperate gurgle as blood filled his lungs. The claws retracted, and the panther turned to Sekimukai, who was trying to get to his feet, still in black bear form. The panther eyed the wounds the familiar had already sustained, decided he was dying anyway, and turned to the Aoba Josei mages slumped against the wall. Two slashes of the panther's claws, and blood pooled around their lightning-burned bodies. The panther nodded, then padded toward the hole in the wall, toward the courtyard beyond, shifting to the form of a small, thin girl with white hair cropped close to her scalp and a black birth mark on her forehead.

"Now, where did that little owl go?" she murmured to herself as she stepped into the courtyard, where the battle seemed to be drawing to a close. Her violet eyes shone as she scanned the area. There. Away from the flames Bokuto was using to corner a few Moonlit Shadows mages still trying to fight, away from where Daichi and Sugawara were restraining a Windswept mage - she made a mental note of that mage's failure - there, against the wall, was Akaashi. "There you are," she murmured, making her way around the edge of the courtyard without drawing attention to herself, her posture suggesting she was scared, trying to avoid being attacked. Akaashi noticed her approach, of course, but since she seemed to be trying to escape, he didn't seem threatened by her. She altered her path as though to walk around him, but stumbled as she passed in front of him. He reached out, catching her arm and steadying her. As she regained her balance, he started to release his hold on her arm, but she brought her other hand up to grip his wrist. He tensed, but it was too late. She smirked as the familiar's gaze went blank, the tension leaking out of his posture. "Hello, there, Akaashi," she murmured. "I'm the Warden, and you're my prisoner now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're saddened by the deaths in this chapter, blame You_Will_Be_Shattered, because that's who encouraged me to live up to my name.


	7. The Battle at Aoba Josei Part Three

Suga sighed as Daichi finished applying a restraint charm to their most recently defeated opponent. The gray haired familiar looked around, noted that Bokuto had cornered a couple of enemy mages that Suga and Daichi should probably go restrain before Bokuto ended up killing them. Suga was about to suggest that course of action to Daichi, but movement across the courtyard caught his attention. Akaashi was walking toward them, and he wasn't alone.

"Hey, Akaashi, who's your friend?" Bokuto called, noticing his familiar's approach and grinning brightly.

"This is the Warden," Akaashi replied calmly. Suga's blood ran cold, and he felt Daichi tense beside him. The Warden, who even Kuroo and Kenma knew nothing about, smiled, her violet eyes glittering. Bokuto's grin vanished, replaced with a snarl as his gaze fell to the grip the Warden had on Akaashi's wrist.

"Get your hands off him," Bokuto growled, flames sparking into existence. "Or I'll burn them off."

"And risk hurting your precious familiar? I don't think so," the Warden replied, her tone sharp and cruel. "You're welcome to try it, though." Bokuto's flames surged, racing forward. He fully expected the flames to curve around Akaashi and fry the Warden, but instead, the flames avoided the Warden and lashed out at Akaashi. Bokuto's expression went from furious to panicked, and he barely pulled his flames back before they burned his familiar. "Oh, did I forget to mention? The aura Akaashi maintains that identifies him to your magic and keeps you from hurting him has been shifted to me."

"That shouldn't be possible unless Akaashi shifted the aura himself," Suga protested. The Warden just smirked. Bokuto's eyes widened, and Daichi stepped forward.

"What do you want?" the enchanter demanded. The Warden lifted the hand not gripping Akaashi's wrist and rested her nails against his stomach. Suga tensed, noticing something he'd missed before: the Warden's nails were too long and sharp for the human form she was in.

"Before I tell you that, you should know that if any of you makes a move I don't like, I'm perfectly happy to gut Akaashi right here." Her fingers curved, bringing the sharp points of her nails to press into the captive familiar's shirt. Akaashi's expression twitched in the slightest of flinches, and when the Warden lifted her nails, Bokuto and the others could see they had gone through his shirt and drawn blood. Flames erupted around Bokuto once more, and he stepped forward, his expression dark. The Warden shifted her nails back into position, ready to make good on her threat, but Suga lunged toward Bokuto, reaching through the flames and grabbing his shoulder, trying to push his magic away and only succeeding in dimming the flames.

"I'm going to incinerate her," Bokuto snarled, trying to shake Suga off.

"As long as she's got whatever aura that tricked your magic before, you'll only make things worse," Suga hissed. "We have to hear her out, and try to think." Bokuto glared down at Suga, about to insist that he needed to save Akaashi _now_ , but paused, his gaze on Suga's hands, which were still gripping his shoulder, despite the fire still dancing over them. Bokuto released his magic, and the flames vanished, leaving Suga's hands blistered and red from the heat.

"Look what you've done, Bokuto. You've gone and burned your ally," the Warden said. "You wouldn't want the same thing to happen to your familiar, would you?" Bokuto's gaze shifted from Suga's hands to Daichi's face. The Karasuno Guildmaster's expression was dark and furious as he stared at Suga's burned hands. Bokuto looked away, his head drooping.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to Suga. The familiar carefully removed his hands from the fire mage's shoulder, trying not to flinch at the sharp pain moving his hands caused.

"Just try to stay calm," Suga replied, stepping back and trying to smile reassuringly at Daichi, who looked like he might be considering just killing Bokuto himself.

"What do you want?" Daichi demanded again, his words short and his jaw clenched. The Warden surveyed the three of them and nodded to herself, apparently pleased with how things were going.

"I want dear, excitable Bokuto to be quiet and cooperative for once," the Warden answered. "Bokuto, if you come along quietly with me, no further harm will come to Akaashi. As long as you do as you're told, he'll be quite safe." Bokuto's shoulders slumped, and he stared at the ground.

"I can't let you win," the fire mage said quietly. "I can't let everyone down."

"Bokuto, just do what she says," Akaashi murmured. Bokuto's whole body jerked, and his head came up, his gaze fixed incredulously on his familair.

"But she hurt you!" Bokuto protested.

"And if you don't cooperate, she'll hurt me again," Akaashi replied, his voice steady. "Please, don't make her hurt me again." Bokuto bit his lip, gaze dropping to the ground again.

"Akaashi wouldn't say that, would he?" Suga hissed under his breath to Daichi, who shrugged helplessly. Suga's eyes narrowed, his mind racing. Akaashi wasn't acting like himself, and from the look in the Warden's violet eyes, she was incredibly pleased with this. Suga paused, his breath catching. It couldn't be. The girl he'd glimpsed years ago, the black dog, the violet eyes...

"I'll take that as your agreement. Follow me." The Warden stepped back, pulling Akaashi with her, and Bokuto followed silently. Suga took a step, and Daichi gathered his magic, but to their surprise, Bokuto turned to face them, flames suddenly crackling along his arms.

"Don't," the fire mage snapped. "She'll hurt him if you attack, and if you endanger Akaashi, I'll burn you myself," he added. Then his magic faded, and he followed the Warden and Akaashi through the hole in the wall, toward the tunnels. For several minutes, Suga and Daichi stayed where they were, stunned.

"Did that just happen?" Daichi asked, his voice hollow. Suga nodded grimly. "How did that just happen?"

"How did what just - Suga, your hands!" Daichi and Suga turned and found Ennoshita and Tanaka had arrived, with Kindaichi and Kunimi of all people on their heels.

"I'll tell you later. For now..." Daichi trailed off, rubbing his face tiredly.

"Yamaguchi and a few other healers are in the guest wing," Ennoshita told them. "Take Suga there. Oikawa and Iwaizumi are coordinating a hunt through the castle for the last few enemies."

"Most of the ones that aren't captured or dead ran off a minute ago," Kindaichi added. "We won." Daichi glanced at Suga's blistered hands, then toward the tunnel entrance, where Bokuto and Akaashi had gone.

"Did we?" the enchanter sighed. "Kindaichi, I need you to get a message to Oikawa. Tell him Bokuto and Akaashi were captured." The Aoba Josei mage froze, eyes wide.

"Bokuto? But he's the strongest fire mage I've ever seen," he protested. "How did he get captured?"

"It doesn't matter right now," Daichi growled. "Just tell Oikawa."

"Actually, it does matter," Suga countered. "Daichi, do you remember when I became your familiar?" The enchanter frowned.

"Of course I do, but what does that have to do with this?" he asked.

"Remember the dog that controlled Aone?" Suga's words were quiet, grim. Daichi's eyes widened.

"That dog was executed by the old Windswept Guildmaster, wasn't it?" he pointed out.

"That's what we were told. But if the Warden can control people, it doesn't matter as much if it's the same person or not. What matters is, that's why Akaashi was acting weird," Suga replied. "We need to warn everyone."

"We'll take care of that," Ennoshita assured them. "You go get Yamaguchi and the others to look at your hands, okay?" Suga looked like he was about to protest, but Daichi stopped him by gently resting a finger over his familiar's lips.

"If you're right, we'll need you in top shape," Daichi insisted. "Healing first. Don't think I don't see how pale you are from the pain. We'll get Kuroo and Oikawa filled in and come up with a plan once you're healed. Everyone is going to need to rest before we do anything anyway." Suga sighed, then nodded, and allowed Daichi to lead him toward the guest wing. As they left, Kindaichi gripped the pendent hanging around his neck.

"Oikawa, we have a situation," the air mage said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For details on what happens to Akaashi and Bokuto after this, see Jessed Owls.


	8. The Battle's Aftermath

Hinata returned to the tunnel entrance, where Matsukawa of Aoba Josei was leading a group of earth mages and familiars with earth powers in blocking off the tunnels and filling in the hole in the wall to the courtyard. Hinata's presence wasn't noticed immediately, giving him time to look for the Izumi, Sekimukai, and the Aoba Josei mages and familiars they had been fighting before Hinata and Kageyama stepped in. When he didn't see them anywhere, he turned to the nearest person, who happened to be Kinoshita, and wondered if it would be rude to interrupt the repair work.

"Oh, Hinata, what are you doing down here?" Kinoshita asked, noticing the hybrid mage.

"There were some people down here," Hinata explained. "A Windswept pair and two Aoba Josei pairs. I wanted to see if they were okay." Kinoshita sighed, and Hinata shifted his weight nervously.

"I'm afraid they were all dead when we came to block this tunnel up," Kinoshita told him. Hinata's eyes widened, and he shook his head. Izumi and the others had been alive when Hinata left them. Sure, they'd been injured, but the only one whose injuries looked dangerous were Sekimukai's. "Hinata, it was a battle. People were bound to die." Hinata nodded silently, then turned away and walked down the hallway, to where Kageyama was sitting, leaning against the wall, eyes closed and shoulders slumped with exhaustion.

"Izumi's dead," Hinata said, sitting beside his familiar. "So are the pairs we tried to save." Kageyama didn't lift his head, but he did lift his arm, draping it around the mage's shoulders and pulling him closer.

"It's not your fault," Kageyama murmured as Hinata burrowed into his side, hiding his face in his familiar's chest. Hinata shuddered.

"I didn't want to kill anyone," Hinata whispered.

"You didn't." Hinata and Kageyama both looked up and found Narita standing over them. "I helped remove the bodies while Kinoshita started helping with blocking the tunnel. The Aoba Josei familiars died from their fight with Izumi and his black bear. The black bear died from wounds he probably got fighting you two - it looked like air blade cuts - but he would have survived if his mage had gotten him help. But the three mages were killed by some kind of big cat, like a tiger or a lion or a panther. Someone came behind you guys and killed the injured." Hinata bit his lip, and Kageyama nodded to Narita, thanking him for the information. Narita returned the gesture, then went over to Kinoshita, announcing that the mage was overworking himself and needed to rest.

"You didn't kill them, Hinata," Kageyama said quietly. "And if I have anything to say about it, you'll never have to kill anyone." Hinata buried his face in his familiar's chest once more, his next words muffled by the demon's shirt.

"You're awesome, Kageyama," the hybrid mage murmured. Kageyama blinked, unsure he'd heard correctly, then hid his own face by pressing it into the mage's orange hair.

"Shut up, dumbass," he mumbled.

In Oikawa's office, the Aoba Josei Guildmaster and his familiar were sitting on the floor, leaning against Oikawa's desk. Iwaizumi sighed, and Oikawa glanced at him curiously.

"I just can't believe Bokuto got captured," Iwaizumi explained without having to be asked.

"Well, I'm sure the Karasuno lovebirds will have a good explanation for letting it happen," Oikawa replied. Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow.

"Really, Oikawa? Lovebirds?" he grumbled. Oikawa grinned and shrugged.

"Well the way they look at each other is always - " Oikawa broke off when Iwaizumi swatted at his head half-heartedly.

"Shut up," the war god sighed.

"Mean, Iwa-chan!" Oikawa whined, then ducked to avoid another half-hearted swat. "So mean!"

"Am I interupting something?" Kindaichi asked from the doorway. "Because if I am, I'll just tell them to come back later."

"Them?" Oikawa repeated, looking up. Kuroo, Kenma, Daichi, and Sugawara were visible in the hallway behind Kindaichi. "Oh, it's the other Guildmasters. Come in," Oikawa invited. "Daichi, you look scary." Daichi's scowl - which he had worn since watching Yamaguchi grimace at Suga's hands before starting to heal them - deepened.

"Oikawa, behave," Iwaizumi sighed. "Everyone is too tired to deal with your crap." Oikawa pouted at his familiar, then turned to the others.

"Have a seat," he invited. "The floor is surprisingly comfortable when you're tired enough." Daichi shook his head and sat, leaning against the wall by the door. Suga sat beside him. Kuroo perched himself on top of Oikawa's desk, earning himself a glare from the Aoba Josei Guildmaster, and sighed dramatically before moving to the floor, where Kenma promptly settled in his lap, curling up against the shadow mage's chest in an oddly catlike manner, despite his current human form.

"First thing's first," Oikawa announced. "Kindaichi, would you fetch the pendents for me?" The air mage went to one of the shelves on the far side of the room and took down an unassuming wooden box. He set it in front of Oikawa, then went to where Kunimi was leaning against the wall to wait.

"You're giving them pendents?" Kenma murmured. Oikawa eyed the short familiar and nodded, opening the box, which was filled with pendents identical to the one around Kuroo's neck.

"Every mage in Aoba Josei has one of these," Oikawa announced. "Some of our other allies have them, too. Iwa-chan and I decided Karasuno should have some, at least until this war is over." Daichi leaned forward and lifted a pendent out of the box, examining it.

"So what all are they enchanted to do?" he asked.

"Basically, they get my attention," Iwaizumi replied. "And they give me a reference point, so that if I need to travel to your location, I can do so instantly."

"It's also helpful during battles. Since I made them, I can use them to send my magic to people to enhance their abilities," Oikawa added. "There should be enough already made to give one to each of your mages, and even one to Tsukishima if he decides to stick with us."

"All right. Next item of business," Kuroo said, fixing his gaze on Daichi and Sugawara. "What the hell happened to Bokuto and Akaashi?"

"They were captured by the Warden," Daichi answered. Kenma's golden eyes sharpened.

"Tell me everything," the feline familiar ordered.

"First of all, the Warden appeared female," Suga began. "She had violet eyes, and she was able to make her human form's nails sharp like claws. She also seems to have the ability to control people, but I don't know if she needs physical contact to initiate the control or not. She seems to have similar abilities to a canine potential familiar who took control of a mage named Aone while Daichi was still a member of Windswept, and might actually be the same person." Kenma's head tilted curiously.

"Aone? The earth mage who died in a training match before the current Windswept Guildmaster took over?" he asked. Daichi and Suga exchanged surprised glances.

"How do you even know about Aone?" Daichi asked. Kuroo opened his mouth to answer, but Daichi cut him off. "Never mind. I don't want to know." Kuroo shrugged.

"Well, the control thing makes the few rumors we've heard about the Warden make sense," Kuroo mused. "If she could control people well enough, she could even alter their memories and personalities." Kenma nodded in agreement. "Did she take control of Bokuto or something?" Suga shook his head.

"She got a hold of Akaashi and used him to force Bokuto to cooperate. She did her homework, knew that Akaashi is Bokuto's weakness," Suga said grimly.

"So how do we take this Warden down?" Oikawa asked. "Attacking her head on would just get us controlled too, or give her a chance to use the people we care about against us, right?"

"It depends on how many people she can control at once, and how deep the connection goes," Suga replied. "For example, if she's hurt by the people she controls dying, then the battle today will have taken a toll on her. On the other hand, it frees up any power she was using to control the people who were killed today."

"It sounds like most of her strength would come from controlling other people, though," Iwaizumi pointed out. "If we could get rid of some of her power base, then maybe it'll weaken her enough that we can risk attacking her head on."

"What are you suggesting?" Daichi asked.

"Kuroo, how many casualties do you think Moonlit Shadows took today?" the war god questioned. Kuroo tilted his head thoughtfully.

"Quite a few. Moonlit Shadows and Windswept are certainly in no shape to launch another attack, not without getting reinforcements from the Guild Halls," the shadow mage replied. Suddenly, he grinned. "So you think we can go after Moonlit Shadows, take out their remaining mages, and thereby weaken Windswept and the Warden?" Iwaizumi nodded.

"There's only one problem with that plan," Oikawa pointed out. "Sure, we have several healers, including that talented Yamaguchi kid, but by the time we're back to fighting strength and get all the way to Moonlit Shadows' Guild Hall, Ushijima will be waiting for us, and he'll be upset with how many of his people we've captured and killed."

"Then we just need a plan to deal with Ushijima," Daichi replied.

"We should take the time to let as many people as possible recover completely from today," Kuroo replied. "And give the pair I sent to stir up trouble near Moonlit Shadows time to finish gathering information and meet us here. Otherwise, we'd be going in with very little information."

"You mean the knowledgeable Nekoma Guildmaster doesn't know anything about Moonlit Shadows?" Oikawa gasped dramatically. Kuroo glared at him.

"Ushijima isn't a fan of us," Kuroo admitted. "A few pairs forming a tiny Guild like ours don't really register on the list of people he lets into his Guild Hall. SO we know things about some of their mages, but we don't know much about the hierarchy, or the layout of the Guild Hall."

"Then it's a good thing we have a former Moonlit Shadows pair on hand, isn't it?" Iwaizumi pointed out.

"Somehow, I don't think Tsukishima will be too eager to help us attack his old Guild," Daichi said. "He's only stuck with us this long for safety."

"But Yamaguchi wants to help," Suga replied. "He volunteered to heal our injured people when our Guild Hall got attacked, and he's healing people now."

"See? I knew Freckles would drag his mage into this," Kuroo murmured to Kenma, who wrinkled his nose at the shadow mage.

"Of course. Yamaguchi is a spotted stag. He hates seeing people in trouble, and he always repays his debts," Kenma replied.

"So I'll talk to Yamaguchi, see if he's willing to give us information on the Moonlit Shadows Guild Hall," Suga decided. "If he does, then by the time we have a solid plan of attack, most of our people will be plenty strong enough to execute the plan."

"Then we're in agreement?" Daichi asked. Everyone nodded.


	9. The Battle of Priorities

Yamaguchi fought back a yawn as he finished healing a bone-deep laceration one of Aoba Josei's mages had received during the battle. He'd been doing nothing but healing injured mages and familiars since before the battle actually ended, and he was fighting to keep his eyes open as he looked around for his next patient.

"Hey. You're wearing yourself out again," Tsukishima grumbled, grabbing Yamaguchi's arm when the familiar reached for the nearest injured ally. "Take a break." Yamaguchi shook his head.

"I can still help," he insisted, tugging at Tsukishima's grip on his arm. "I can still heal more people." Tsukishima frowned and pulled Yamaguchi against his chest, wrapping his arms around the freckled familiar.

"You've done enough, Yamaguchi," Tsukishima told him. "More than enough. Don't work yourself to death helping them."

"That Karsuno pair saved us," Yamaguchi protested. "We've spent this whole war running and being saved. The least I can do is heal them after a fight."

"There are other ways you can help, if you really want to," Suga announced, walking up to the pair. "We're going to launch an attack on Moonlit Shadows' Guild Hall, and we need all the information we can get."

"Go ask the Nekoma spies Kuroo sent to cause trouble over there," Tsukishima snapped. "Come on, Yamaguchi. You need to rest."

"Kai and Yamamoto haven't reported in yet," Suga said grimly. "And we need to strike soon, before Moonlit Shadows has time to regroup from this battle."

"We're not helping you invade our old Guild," Tsukishima growled. He didn't want to be part of this war, and he especially didn't want to help Aoba Josei kill his former fellow Guild members the way they had the last time Moonlit Shadows and Aoba Josei had fought.

"Tsukki, they'll be slaughtered if they attack without knowing about-"

"Not my problem," Tsukishima snapped. Yamaguchi wiggled out of the mage's arms and glared up at him, some of the effect of the expression lost because of the dark circles under the familiar's eyes.

"If we don't tell them what we know, and anyone dies in that battle, that blood is on our hands just as much as anyone else's," Yamaguchi replied sharply. Then he turned his back on Tsukishima, facing Suga. "I can tell you about the layout of the Guild Hall, and the Guildmaster's abilities, and the guards," he said. "That should give you a chance." Suga, who had been listening to the pair's conversation, smiled.

"Thank you, Yamaguchi. And I'm sorry I caused trouble between you and your mage," he added. Yamaguchi shook his head.

"It's not your fault. Come on; I'll need something to draw on to give you a good map of the Guild Hall." Suga glanced at Tsukishima, but the light mage just huffed and turned away, so Suga shrugged and led Yamaguchi toward Oikawa's office. "Guildmaster Oikawa probably knows a little bit about Ushijima's abilities already, but I don't think anyone except maybe Nekoma knows about the Golden Shadows," Yamaguchi said as they walked. Suga frowned and tilted his head.

"The Golden Shadows?" he repeated.

"Yeah. They're the elite guards, led by an air mage named Terushima. He and the other guards are crazy," Yamaguchi said with a shudder. "Watching them spar is...intimidating. You never know what they're going to do next, and they don't even really listen to the Guildmaster. They're practically their own mini-Guild, and the only one who can calm them down is Terushima's familiar, Misaki."

"If they're so undisciplined, why doesn't the Guildmaster reprimand them or kick them out?" Suga questioned. Yamaguchi sighed.

"They're just that good," he explained. "I only sparred against a Golden Shadow pair once, when they wanted to practice fighting without using magic. Even without using their powers, the pairs in the Golden Shadows are flexible, unpredictable, and always overboard with their enthusiasm." Suga frowned thoughtfully.

"Any idea how to beat them?" the gray haired familiar asked. "Do they have any weaknesses?"

"They're reckless," Yamaguchi offered as they reached Oikawa's office. "They take risks, and sometimes they get in each other's way because they're so eager to fight. But I don't know if you could really call those weaknesses."

"We'll think of something," Suga assured him. "Now, about that map of the Guild Hall..."

Above the castle, a crow circled, trying to decide where to land. It noticed a pair of men in the courtyard and dove, landing and returning to human form just in time to overhear their conversation.

"It doesn't make any sense," the taller of the two was complaining. "Why take Bokuto? Why not just kill him? Not that I'm saying I want the Warden to kill him, but-"

"Excuse me," the crow-turned human interupted, recognizing the pair as they turned to face him. "Kuroo and Kenma, right? I'm Kurokawa, one of Ukai's crows. I just came from Moonlit Shadows territory, and I might know the answer you're looking for." Kenma tilted his head, and Kurokawa took that as a signal to keep talking. "Kai and Yamamoto were captured this morning. I tried to get close enough to get a report from them. I managed it, and on my way out, I overheard the guards talking. They're going to question them, and if they don't talk, they'll probably be transferred to Windswept and executed." Kuroo tensed, eyes narrowing, but Kenma seemed calm as he replied.

"How does this explain why Bokuto and Akaashi were taken alive?" the yellow eyed familiar asked. Kurokawa grimaced.

"I tried to get here before the battle to warn everyone, but I couldn't get here fast enough. I'm really sorry," he sighed. Kuroo grimaced, and Kenma rested a hand on the mage's arm comfortingly.

"And the report from Kai and Yamamoto?" Kenma prompted.

"Basically, someone called the Warden is out to get Bokuto, and wants to use him to break up the alliance against Windswept and Moonlit Shadows. Whoever this Warden is, they think they can use Bokuto for something," Kurokawa explained. "It almost sounded like they think they can make Bokuto fight for them."

"Bokuto wouldn't fight for them," Kuroo scoffed. Kenma was silent, so Kuroo hesitated and glanced at him. "Kenma? What are you thinking?"

"Suga said that the Warden used Akaashi to make Bokuto cooperate," Kenma said softly. "So it would make sense if she kept using Akaashi to make Bokuto do other things. We shouldn't rule out having to fight Bokuto eventually."

"We can't let her have enough time with them to make that happen," Kuroo growled.

"We're already planning an attack on Moonlit Shadows, remember?" Kenma pointed out. "And Kai and Yamamoto are in danger. It will take time for the Warden to manipulate Bokuto."

"You're right. But as soon as we're done with Moonlit Shadows, we're going to rescue them," Kuroo said firmly. "Bo and Akaashi are tough, but we aren't going to abandon them."


	10. The Battle at Moonlit Shadows Part One

Terushima didn't run his patrol route. He _flew_ it. The wind rushed around him, lifting him and letting him move faster than anyone should really be able to, tangling his hair and driving the breath from his lungs as he laughed, exhilerated.

"Terushima! Stop playing around!" The air mage spun to a stop, grinning at his familiar. Misaki was eyeing him sternly, her arms crossed. "With so many people injured or captured in the battle at Aoba Josei, we can't afford to overlook anything during our patrol," she said firmly. "That means walking. Not your wind-assisted sprinting." Terushima shrugged sheepishly.

"Sorry, Misaki," he replied. "Couldn't help it." She shook her head at him, then froze. "Misaki?"

"Duck!" she ordered, changing to her animal form - a small brown bird - and flying toward him. Terushima obeyed, ducking so she flew right over his head and turning as he did so, scanning the area for whatever she had sensed. His gaze found the diving gray hawk just in time to grip it with a breeze and pull it to the ground, keeping it from slamming into Misaki.

"Misaki! The others!" Terushima called. His familiar flicked her wings and changed course, heading toward where Bobata and Futamaka - the second-strongest pair in the Golden Shadows - were supposed to be. Before she could get too far, though, several crows dropped out of the sky, surrounding her and forcing her to land and return to human form. Terushima reached out, ready to sweep them away, but a sun bear with fur frozen to keep Terushima's air attacks from inflicting too much damage slammed into the air mage, then rolled off, only for a much larger bear to plant a heavy paw on his chest. Terushima released the magic holding the gray hawk and gathered a huge gust of air, using it to shove the grizzly off, with enough force that the animal flew back and hit a tree. It didn't seem bothered, just regained its footing. A man stepped into view, resting a hand on the grizzly's shoulder just as it was about to charge Terushima again, stopping it in its tracks.

"Tanaka, let Suga handle this," the man ordered. Terushima surged to his feet. Suga? Which one was Suga? He knew that name, he just couldn't - the hawk. He whirled toward the bird, but it was already soaring toward him, shifting to human form as Terushima dodged, using the air to amplify his speed and shove his attacker to the ground. Just when he thought he was clear, the familiar's fingertips brushed the mage's leg, and the air stopped obeying Terushima's commands. The familiar let out a huff of relief, and Terushima scowled, then lifted his foot, ready to bring it down on the familiar's wrist, but them the sun bear was back, charging in and slamming its head into Terushima's stomach. The air mage's breath rushed out of his lungs as he fell back, only for someone to catch him. He let his head drop back, looking up to see if it was an enemy or an ally who had caught him. Noting the emblem on the newcomer's shirt, Terushima decided this wasn't one of the Windswept mages that was passing through on their way back to their own Guild Hall, and exhaled sharply, intending to use his magic to amplify the motion to knock the person off balance.

"Don't," an unfamiliar voice advised. "Yamaguchi says you're a good person, so I'd really prefer not to kill you." Terushima looked around. It was the man beside the grizzly who had spoken.

"You know Yamaguchi?" Terushima asked, wondering how long the familiar still gripping his ankle could suppress his magic for. No one replied to his words. Instead, the air around him stirred, and a new mage moved forward, resting a hand on Terushima's chest while the person holding him up shifted their grip, keeping him from moving too much. He started to say something else, to buy time for the magic suppressor to get tired, but instead, the air suddenly rushed out of his lungs. Terushima gasped, chest heaving, but couldn't get his lungs to refill. His vision went hazy. The newest one must be an air mage, too, he realized as he faded into unconsciousness.

"He's out. Kindaichi, make sure he doesn't die, okay?" Daichi said, lowering the now-unconscious air mage to the ground. "Shimada, did you get the familiar?"

"She's kindly agreed to stay here with her mage until he wakes up," the potential familiar replied. "On the condition that we not kill any of her 'problem children'." Daichi chuckled and gripped the pendent hanging around his neck.

"Iwaizumi, we've subdued Terushima. Time for your group to move in," the Karasuno Guildmaster said. When the reply came, it echoed in Daichi's mind instead of reaching his ears.

_Understood. We'll start our search in the Guildmaster's office. I'm sending Kuroo and Hinata to the cells in the basement now._

"So everything's going according to plan, huh?" Suga commented, getting to his feet. "Kindaichi, you better hurry up, or you'll miss the rendezvous with Oikawa and the others." The air mage nodded, then beckoned to his familiar, and the two set off toward the Guild Hall.

"All right. Let's find the other Golden Shadows, then head for the general quarters," Daichi announced. "Hopefully, it'll all go according to plan."


	11. The Battle at Moonlit Shadows Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun facts for this battle: Kunimi is a lake spirit, so he has water powers, and Hanamaki is a demon, so he doesn't really have any elemental powers. Also, Ushijima is an earth/fire hybrid.

Iwaizumi finished relaying orders and turned to Oikawa, who was pacing in circles around him.

"It's time. Kindaichi is headed for the rendezvous," Iwaizumi announced. Oikawa stopped pacing, and Hanamaki and Matsukawa, who had been a short distance away, keeping an eye out for enemies, walked over. Together, the four of them headed for where they were supposed to meet up with Kindaichi and Kunimi. The youngest of the three pairs was waiting when the others arrived.

"So, how did it go with the Golden Shadows?" Oikawa asked.

"We took down the leader as planned," Kindaichi replied. "Have you come up with a strategy to take on Ushijima yet?" Oikawa pouted.

"Of course I have!" the Guildmaster said as they started moving toward the Guild Hall. "Iwa-chan will have to take the physical attacks, since he's the best with non-magical fighting. Makki and Mattsun, I want you two to dart in whenever you can, pester Ushijima, keep him off balance. Kindaichi, if you see an opening, try that knock-out trick you've been working on. Kunimi will provide cover for everyone."

"And of course you'll be redirecting all of the magical attacks, right?" Matsukawa added. Oikawa smiled and clapped once.

"Of course! Now let's go get ourselves an Ushijima," Oikawa said cheerfully. Iwaizumi took the lead, following the directions Yamaguchi had given them to the Guildmaster's office. As they approached, Iwaizumi glanced at Oikawa, a question in his eyes. Oikawa nodded, assuring his familiar that he could sense Ushijima inside. Iwaizumi then turned to Kunimi, who stepped forward nervously, fine mist flowing from his fingertips and slipping under the door. Hopefully, they would be able to hide in the mist once there was enough of it inside the office.

Instead, there was a loud sigh of irritation from inside the room, and then the door burst open, flying off its hinges and sending Kunimi sprawling. An instant later, flames poured out of the room, and Oikawa barely managed to redirect the fire so it didn't burn any of his people. While Oikawa dealt with that, a pair of black swords appeared in Iwaizumi's hands, and he rushed into the room as soon as the flames died down. Ushijima was waiting, standing behind his desk. Iwaizumi charged forward, jumping onto the desk and slashing at the Guildmaster's chest. Flames erupted around him, but were redirected back toward Ushijima, curving around him and then pouring out the window, melting the glass. Iwaizumi kicked out, but Ushijima caught his ankle, a slight smirk on the Guildmaster's face. Stone appeared around the war god's foot, weighing it down when Ushijima let go and moved back, avoiding a lunge from Hanamaki, who was in his animal form, a fox. Kindaichi tried to pull the air from Ushijima's lungs while he was distracted, but the air wouldn't respond to his call. Kindaichi's eyes widened in surprise, and he was caught off guard enough that he didn't notice a coyote rushing into the room and leaping, jaws aimed for the back of the mage's neck. Kunimi noticed and shifted to his own animal form, a jaguar, and leaped to intercept the coyote. The two crashed to the floor, and suddenly the air was responding to Kindaichi again. The mage reached for the air in Ushijima's lungs, starting to pull it out. The Guildmaster hissed as he felt his breath leaving, but still managed to deflect Iwaizumi's next strike by summoning stone armor around himself and using it to deflect the blow into Hanamaki's shoulder as the fox lunged again. Hanamaki went down with a yelp, and Iwaizumi reversed his motion, attacking once more. This time, the black sword broke on the stone armor, and Ushijima sent flames at the stunned war god. Oikawa redirected them, but was knocked off balance as the Kunimi and the coyote he was still wrestling with rolled into the enchanter's legs. Ushijima swayed, Kindaichi's removal of air from his chest finally affecting him. Hanamaki sank his teeth into the Guildmaster's leg, and received a vicious kick to the ribs as the enemy went down. There was a sickening crack, and then the familiar was flying across the room. Matsukawa growled and managed to open a hole in Ushijima's armor with his own earth magic. Iwaizumi took the opportunity and drove his second sword into the opening, plunging the blade into the enemy's side. Ushijima's mouth opened in what would have been a shout if he had any air left to shout with. Kindaichi's control of the air vanished again, and Ushijima inhaled sharply. The air mage growled, but was knocked over as the coyote managed to throw off Kunimi, sending the jaguar tumbling into Kindaichi. Then the coyote's form shimmered, and then there was a man where the canine had been.

"Shit," Oikawa hissed. Iwaizumi looked up and saw the man, recognition dawning on him.

"Why didn't we know he had a familiar?" Matsukawa growled. "Especially one as strong as Semi?" The man - Semi - allowed himself a satisfied smile, then darted toward Matsukawa, drawing a dagger from a sheathe at his hip. The earth mage tried to summon a barrier of rock, but nothing happened.

"Mattsun!" Oikawa shouted. "Dodge!" The earth mage tried to obey, but Semi jumped and spun, his dagger slashing into Matsukawa's stomach as the mage tried to backpedal away. Matsukawa tripped over the injured form of Hanamaki, who still lay where Ushijima's kick had tossed him, and the earth mage went down, Semi following him to the ground, plunging his weapon between the mage's ribs, only to be forced to leave his dagger there and roll away when Iwaizumi brought his sword down into the space the other familiar had just occupied, barely missing Matsukawa.

Flames erupted from Ushijima, who had finally regained his breath, and the fire raced toward Kindaichi and Kunimi, who were just getting back on their feet. Oikawa redirected the flames, aiming for Semi, who calmly stood his ground. The flames vanished before they got anywhere near Ushijima's familiar.

"He can cancel magic without physical contact," Oikawa realized. Iwaizumi summoned a new sword, so he had one in each hand again.

"Then leave this to me," the war god replied. "Get Matsukawa and Hanamaki out of here before they bleed to death." Oikawa nodded and stepped toward their fallen Guild members, and Semi made no move to attack.

"You asked why you didn't know about me," the familiar said, turning his back to Iwaizumi and going to Ushijima's side. "It's because I do what I can to support the Guildmaster, and right now, I can support him best if I'm the secret weapon. Not even the Guild members know about me." Iwaizumi shifted his stance, placing himself between the enemies and Oikawa, who was crouched over Matsukawa and Hanamaki.

"I think for now, you can support him best if you surrender the Guild," Iwaizumi said. "Most of your mages and familiars have probably been wiped out by now, anyway." Semi glanced at Ushijima, who was scowling.

"I know when I'm beaten," Ushijima growled, sitting up and pressing a hand to his wound. "Windswept will handle you, anyway, so enjoy this victory while it lasts. You'll be fighting the Warden's new weapon soon enough anyway."

"The Warden's new weapon?" Iwaizumi echoed, frowning. Ushijima laughed, then winced at the pain that caused. Semi tutted and tore at the shirt he was wearing, forming a makeshift bandage to press against the wound.

"The fire mage, Bokuto," Ushijima explained. "She should have finished breaking him by now." Iwaizumi glanced at Oikawa, whose expression was grim.

"We can worry about weapons and Bokuto later," Oikawa said. "For now, we need to get one of the healers over here, or Mattsun and Makki aren't going to make it, and I don't think it's safe to move them." Iwaizumi tensed and reached out, finding the leader of the group of healers that were waiting outside the battle zone.

 _Shimizu, as soon as you think it's safe, we need you in the Guildmaster's office. Matsukawa and Hanamaki are down,_ the war god ordered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally decided where to put Kiyoko and Yachi in this: they're members of Aoba Josei, and Yachi is Kiyoko's familiar.


	12. The Battle at Moonlit Shadows Part Three

The cells were empty. Kuroo snarled and lashed out with his shadows, destroying every cell door in range. They were all empty. Kai and Yamamoto were supposed to be down here somewhere, in one of these cells. But they. Were. Empty. Kuroo and Kenma had torn through their enemies, shoving them aside with Kuroo's shadows and Kenma's lion paws, and left them to Hinata and Kageyama, who had been more than happy to deal with the stunned enemies, leaving the Nekoma Guildmaster and his familiar free to rush to the cells where their Guild members were supposed to be.

"Did you find them?" Hinata asked, slightly out of breath as he jogged up to Kuroo, Kageyama perched on his shoulder. Kuroo glared at the short hybrid mage.

"They're not here," he growled. "We're too late."

"They've probably just been transferred to Windswept," Kenma pointed out. "We can catch up and rescue them as soon as this battle is over."

"One of those mages back there probably knows what route they're taking," Hinata offered. "You could ask." Kuroo bared his teeth in a way that made Hinata shudder.

"Let's go ask, then," Kuroo growled. He stalked toward the mages Hinata and Kageyama had defeated, stopping when he reached the first conscious one. The man was clutching his arm, which was covered in burns, to his chest. He stared up at Kuroo, eyes wide in fear. "Where are the Nekoma members that were held here?"

"Go fall in a pit and die," the mage snapped. Kuroo crouched, bringing his face close to the enemy mage's.

"I'm going to ask again, and if you don't answer, the third time I won't ask so nicely," the shadow mage growled. "Where. Are. My. People?" The mage spat at him. Kuroo grimaced and flicked a finger, and a shadow rose and wiped the spit from his cheek. Then he twitched his hand, and the shadow shot out, impaling the wall beside the man's head, close enough that the edge of the shadow sliced his cheek. The man yelped, and Kuroo smirked, shadows gathering around him and writhing eagerly. "Last chance. Tell me what happened to my people, or next time, I'll send a shadow through your throat," Kuroo threatened.

"He doesn't know anything," a mage a short distance away called. "Leave him alone. I'll tell you what happened to your people." Kuroo stood and stalked over to the new mage.

"Well? Talk," he hissed. The mage looked up at him steadily.

"Our questioners weren't getting anything out of them, but a lady from Windswept calling herself the Warden said she had another use for them, since we weren't getting any information. She took them to Windswept with her," the mage said. Kuroo glanced at Kenma, who shrugged. The 'I told you so' was unspoken. Kuroo scowled and turned back to the mage.

"Did she say what she was going to use them for?" Kuroo asked. A smirk tugged at the enemy mage's lips.

"She's going to have them publicly executed by her new pet," he announced. Kuroo stiffened, and Kenma stepped forward.

"What new pet?" Kenma asked. The enemy's smirk widened.

"The fire mage, Bokuto. Didn't you know? He's already destroyed Karasuno's Guild Hall for her. He's probably incinerating your people right now, if he hasn't already." Kenma's eyes narrowed.

"Bokuto wouldn't do that," Kuroo snapped. "He might kill in the heat of battle, but he wouldn't execute anyone in cold blood."

"Besides, Bokuto is on our side, right?" Hinata piped up. Kuroo nodded stubbornly, but Kenma hesitated.

"You know how devoted he is to Akaashi," Kenma pointed out. "If the Warden managed to capture Bokuto by using Akaashi, then it's not too much of a stretch to assume she'll be able to make him do pretty much anything." Kuroo started to protest, then stopped and sighed.

"You might be right. But that just means we have to get Bokuto and Akaashi away from the Warden as soon as we can," the Nekoma Guildmaster said. "Kenma and I will go ahead to the Windswept Guild Hall and scout things out. Let Daichi and the others know, okay?" Hinata blinked.

"But we're supposed to meet up with everyone else soon," Hinata protested. "Iwaizumi could give the regroup order any time."

"I know. But this is more important. Tell them we won't do anything stupid. If there's any chance we can get there in time to save Kai and Yamamoto, or get Bokuto and Akaashi away from the Warden, we have to take it," Kuroo said. Kenma looked up at the shadow mage.

"I have an idea," Kenma said quietly. Hinata looked back and forth between them, then glanced sideways at Kageyama, who was still in crow form on his shoulder. The familair fluffed his feathers and shifted uncertainly, and Hinata sighed.

"All right. Be careful," the hybrid said.

 _We've won. Everyone who can, get to the main hall. If you can't get there, let me know, and we'll send a healer to you._ Iwaizumi's voice echoed in their minds, and Hinata grasped the pendent around his neck.

"Hinata checking in. Kageyama and I are on our way to the rendezvous," the hybrid reported.

 _What about Kuroo?_ Hinata hesitated, looking around for the shadow mage, but he wasn't there. Hinata sighed.

"Kuroo's gone to try to save his people," the hybrid mage sighed.

 _We'll deal with him later. You and Kageyama join up with everyone else._ Hinata let out a breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding, then turned and headed for the meeting place.

In Ushijima's office, Oikawa was still crouched beside Matsukawa and Hanamaki. Iwaizumi had sent Kindaichi and Kunimi ahead to meet up with their allies, but Oikawa refused to leave the injured pair until the healers arrived. Iwaizumi considered reaching out and telling the healers to hurry and send someone, but he knew it wouldn't help. He knew Kiyoko was organizing everything and sending healers to injured allies as fast as she could.

"Mattsun, don't you dare-" Oikawa's voice broke off, and Iwaizumi returned his attention to their injured Guild members. Matsukawa's breath was increasingly uneven, and blood was streaming steadily from the stab wounds in his side and chest, despite Oikawa's attempts to stem the bloodflow. Beside him, Hanamaki, still in fox form, was coughing up blood. Iwaizumi was fairly sure that at least one of the familiar's ribs were broken, possibly puncturing his lung, and the slash on his shoulder wasn't helping. "Matsukawa Issei, you are not allowed to die!" Iwaizumi moved closer, resting a hand on Oikawa's shoulder. Matsukawa let out one last, wheezing breath, then lay still. Hanamaki whimpered, feeling the bond shatter. Oikawa bit his lip and sat back on his heels, staring up at the ceiling and squeezing his eyes shut against the tears. Iwaizumi was about to call for a healer once more, but two things happened simultaneously.

Yamaguchi walked in, Tsukishima following sullenly in his wake, and Hanamaki let out an agonized gurgling noise and went still.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to the Mattsun & Makki fans.  
> But someone had to die.


	13. The Battle at Moonlit Shadows Part Four

Yamaguchi heard the ominous gurgle as he walked into the Guildmaster's office. His gaze found the wounded familiar immediately, and he ran forward, pushing Oikawa out of the way and falling to his knees, burying his hands in the fox's fur. He poured his healing magic into the fox, but the broken body didn't respond. Yamaguchi's jaw clenched, and he pushed more magic into the limp form in front of him, even though he knew it was too late. He hadn't made it in time.

"Leave it," Tsukishima said, resting a hand on Yamaguchi's shoulder and pulling him away from the dead familiar. Yamaguchi bit his lip, but allowed the mage to pull him away.

"I'm sorry," Yamaguchi said to Oikawa and Iwaizumi. "I'm so sorry. If I'd gotten here sooner..."

"You would've just worn yourself out again, and for what?" Tsukishima snapped. Oikawa scowled, and Iwaizumi stepped forward angrily, but it was Yamaguchi who snapped back.

"I don't care if I wear myself out! If I'd gotten here a few seconds sooner, I could have saved him! If we'd been fighting in the battle instead of being on the sidelines where it's _safe_ , I could have saved them both! I could have saved someone else for once instead of constantly being saved!" the freckled familiar shouted, fingers clenching into fists.

"You tried," Iwaizumi said soothingly. "That's what matters." Oikawa huffed and looked away, but didn't say anything. Yamaguchi looked up at the war god.

"You aren't mad at me for not being able to save them?" Yamaguchi whispered.

"Of course he isn't. He's a war god. Death is his thing," Tsukishima said. "Let's go, Yamaguchi. It's not worth getting worked up over."

"Hold on." Iwaizumi's eyes were narrowed dangerously, and he advanced on Tsukishima. "Look, I get it. I killed your family. But if you keep acting like this, one day someone is going to beat you to a pulp, and then your familiar will be left to pick up the pieces. If you don't want to do that to him, get a grip." Tsukishima glared at Iwaizumi, who returned the expression steadily.

"If you two are done arguing, can I borrow Yamaguchi?" Semi asked. Yamaguchi jumped, only just realizing that there were two more people in the room. Yamaguchi's gaze fell to Ushijima, who was sitting against the wall, makeshift bandage wrapped around his wounded side. Tsukishima scowled, but before he could say anything, Yamaguchi crossed the room and crouched beside their former Guildmaster.

"I thought you didn't want to be involved in this, Tsukishima," Ushijima murmured as Yamaguchi carefully unwrapped the bandages and started healing the Guildmaster. "And I never thought I'd see you working with Aoba Josei."

"I did what I had to do to survive. You sent guards after us, remember?" Tsukishima replied.

"Of course I did. You're the strongest light mage in the Guild. You should be on your way to Windswept like the others," Ushijima told him. Yamaguchi tensed, pausing in his healing to glance at Iwaizumi.

"So you're still hoping for that to succeed?" Tsukishima shook his head. "You're going to get them all killed." Yamaguchi finished healing Ushijima and stood.

"They would have a better chance of success if you were there," Ushijima replied.

"What exactly are the light mages supposed to do?" Iwaizumi asked, frowning. Tsukishima didn't answer. Ushijima just smiled at the Aoba Josei Guildmaster and his familiar.

"Illusions," Yamaguchi murmured. "Suga and Kenma can probably come up with something to counter them."

"We'll have to think of something without Kenma," Iwaizumi replied. "He and Kuroo took off for Windswept already."

"We'd better meet up with everyone else and figure out our strategy for the next battle, then," Oikawa said quietly. "But first..." He turned to the bodies of Hanamaki and Matsukawa. "We can't just leave them like this."

"We won't. But we need to see how everyone else is doing. Then we'll take proper care of our dead," Iwaizumi replied gently. "The living have to come first, Oikawa."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is so short! I promise next chapter will be full length!   
> Also, next chapter will probably catch up to where Jessed Owls ends, so if you haven't read that yet, it's got some events that are important.


	14. The Battle Between Allies Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up, some of the dialogue from this chapter overlaps with the last chapter of Jessed Owls.  
> Also, Takeda makes his second appearance in the whole series!

Kuroo pulled on the shadows of the forest, using them to push himself and Kenma, faster and faster, until the world blurred around them. They had to move quickly, they had to get to Windswept. If they could just make it in time, maybe they could save Kai and Yamamoto. Maybe they could help Bokuto and Akaashi. So Kuroo pushed himself, until they were at the edge of the forest, looking into the village the held Windswept's Guild Hall, and Kuroo saw the charred remains of what had been Karasuno's Guild Hall. Kuroo closed his eyes, taking inventory of his strength. He was tired from pushing their speed so much, but with Kenma at his side, he was sure he could do what he had to do. Together, they walked into the town. There was a child playing in the street outside the wreckage of Karasuno's home, a little girl with curly dark hair. She saw them and smiled, waving cheerfully. A woman sitting on the step of the nearest house watched them warily. Kuroo assumed she was the child's mother.

"You came out of the forest! Are you a mage?" the girl asked, skipping over to Kuroo and Kenma. Kuroo hesitated, then shrugged.

"Yeah. Do you know what happened to the building that was here?" he asked, nodding to the remains of the Guild Hall. The girl pouted.

"The spiky fire mage burned it. He said they were going to build a new one," she said. Kuroo exchanged a worried glance with Kenma. The woman Kuroo had noticed earlier approached.

"What have I told you about talking to strangers?" she sighed. "Go play inside for a bit, okay?" she added, studying the newcomers. The child's pout grew, but she went into the house. "You two are from Nekoma," the woman stated calmly, glancing at the Guild emblem on their shirts.

"What can you tell us about what's been going on in town lately?" Kuroo asked, not confirming or denying her statement. The woman glanced at the ruins, then sighed.

"Well, obviously the Guild Hall has been destroyed. But I bet you're more worried about the executions," she said. "If you came to try to stop them, I'm afraid you're too late." Kuroo clenched his fists and stared at the ground. Too late. He was too late. Kai and Yamamoto were dead.

"Do you know who carried out the executions?" Kenma questioned quietly. The woman nodded reluctantly.

"It was the same mage who burned the Karasuno Guild Hall. I thought he was their ally, but it looks like he's switched sides. I'm sorry about your friends," she added. Kuroo hardly registered her last few words. He couldn't believe it. He wouldn't. Bokuto was many things, but not an executioner, and Kuroo didn't want to believe that his friend had actually been the one to kill his Guild members.

"Thank you," Kenma said to the woman. Then he took Kuroo's hand and gently pulled him away, down the street. "Kuroo, we knew this was a possibility," the familiar reminded him.

"Yeah, but I didn't think..." Kuroo trailed off.

"We both know that Bokuto would have a good reason for doing what he did, and that it probably has something to do with the Warden controlling Akaashi," Kenma said soothingly. "We just have to ask him what's going on." Kuroo frowned at his familiar questioningly. "I can sense them," Kenma explained. "I might not be as good as Suga at detecting magic, but I can sense Bokuto and Akaashi nearby." Kuroo stared at him for a minute, then took a deep breath.

"All right. We'll have to make sure the Warden isn't near them," the shadow mage murmured. "We don't want her taking control of Akaashi before we get them out of wherever they are." Kenma nodded his agreement and led the way. Kuroo tensed when they approached the Windswept Guild Hall, but Kenma turned toward the building across the street instead.

"I'm not positive about the feeling of the Warden's magic, but I know that there are only two mages and one familiar in here," Kenma said as he led Kuroo into the building. "One is a healer who's on a higher floor right now, and the others are Bokuto and Akaashi, and they're downstairs. The Warden is at least as far away as the Windswept Guild Hall, and she's probably inside it." Kuroo took the lead, having caught the feel of his friend's magic himself now. Almost before Kuroo realized how close they were getting, he stopped at an open door and looked into the room beyond. Bokuto stood in the middle of the room, facing the doorway with a determined expression. Akaashi was seated on the bed, shirtless. Bokuto's eyes widened as he took in the fact that Kuroo was standing there.

"Found you," the shadow mage sighed, relief rushing through him. It didn't look like either of them were hurt. Maybe the whole thing about Bokuto being the one to execute Kai and Yamamoto was a lie; after all, if Bokuto was being forced to do the Warden's dirty work, he and Akaashi would look at least a little battered, right? "Come on, let's get out of here." Bokuto didn't move. He just stared at Kuroo, his expression slowly shifting from shock to fear. "What's wrong?" Kuroo demanded.

"You can't be here," Bokuto whispered. "Kuroo, you have to leave. Now." Kuroo frowned.

"What?" Kenma peered around the shadow mage to study them.

"You both have to leave. Right now," Bokuto insisted. "Before the Warden notices you're here." Kuroo's frown deepened.

"The Warden is in the Windswept Guild Hall," Kenma said, even though that was only a guess on their part. But since Kuroo didn't sense anyone nearby except the healer Kenma had mentioned earlier, he figured it was a safe enough assumption that he didn't need to correct it. "She's busy."

"You don't understand. She'll make me attack you," Bokuto snapped. "Please, just go. Forget about me. We're fine. But if she notices you're here, you won't be for long." The desperation in his expression and tone telling Kuroo that while the fire mage and his familiar might not look like they were hurt, something had happened to them in the days they'd been captive. But even with that realization, Kuroo wasn't willing to give up on them.

"We just have to leave before she notices, then," he replied. Maybe he was too late to save his Guild members, but he'd be damned if he was going to fail to save his friends in teh same day.

"Bokuto, they don't have much time," Akaashi whispered, moving forward and taking the fire mage's hand. Taking in Kuroo's stubborn expression, Akaashi turned to Kenma instead. "Kenma, listen to me. You have to take Kuroo and run. Trust me on this." Kenma met Akaashi's gaze for a moment, then nodded and turned to Kuroo, who stared down at him in disbelief.

"We know where they are. Once the Warden is gone, we'll come back for them," Kenma urged. Kuroo glanced down at his familiar, expression twisted with indecision. Akaashi's fingers, twined with Bokuto's, twitched, then withdrew as Akaashi stepped sideways. Bokuto glanced at his familiar and tensed, though Kuroo wasn't sure why.

"Bokuto," Akaashi said calmly. Bokuto bowed his head, fists clenching at his side.

"Yes, Warden?" the fire mage replied. Kuroo and Kenma tensed, watching their friends warily. So that was what Bokuto had seen. Somehow, he'd known the Warden was taking control of his familiar.

"She can control Akaashi from that far away?" Kenma whispered. Bokuto didn't say anything, but there was something hollow and defeated in his eyes that answered the question all too clearly. Kuroo shifted his stance, wondering what the Warden would use Akaashi to tell Bokuto to do.

"Remember what we talked about after the execution?" Akaashi's voice asked. Bokuto nodded grimly, flames appearing around his fists. Kuroo reached for the shadows uncertainly.

"Of course. I'm supposed to take my time," Bokuto answered, fighting to keep his words steady. "I will." Kenma grabbed Kuroo's hand and pulled him back into the hallway, and Kuroo went willingly this time. He didn't know for sure what Bokuto was about to do, but he knew that he probably didn't want to stick around to find out.

"Then what are you waiting for? Kill them." Bokuto stepped forward, and Kuroo and Kenma turned and ran, not wanting to fight their friend, especially if he was really coming at them with the intent of killing them. Kuroo gripped his pendent as he and Kenma fled the building.

"Iwaizumi, please be listening, because I made a big mistake," Kuroo admitted as he ran. After a moment, concerned and slightly exasperated words echoed in his head.

 _Please tell me you didn't get captured,_ Iwaizumi sighed.

"No, I didn't," Kuroo huffed indignantly. "But apparently Bokuto is more under the Warden's thumb than I realized, because he's chasing Kenma and me right now." There was a pause, and Kuroo wondered if Iwaizumi was relaying their conversation to their allies. He stopped wondering as a fireball hit the ground beside him, close enough that he felt the wave of heat coming off of it. Kuroo resisted the urge to yelp and called on the shadows to increase his speed. On his other side, Kenma shifted to his lion form. Kuroo lunged sideways, avoiding another fireball, and managed to land on Kenma's back.

 _Can you make it to the forest? The crows are already on their way. They left pretty quickly when they found out you went ahead, actually,_ Iwaizumi commented. Kuroo grumbled something unflattering about crows. _They should be flying fast enough that by the time you get to the forest, they'll be able to help you._

"Thanks. If I get roasted before I make it that far, tell Yaku he's in charge," Kuroo growled.

 _This is why you shouldn't run off on your own,_ Iwaizumi replied calmly. Kuroo sensed a wave of fire heading for them, and summoned shadows just in time to shield himself and his familiar from the attack.

"I knew not getting a lecture the whole trip here was too good to be true," Kuroo grimaced, fending off another attack as he and Kenma raced past the remains of the Karsuno Guild Hall.

 _I had more immediate concerns. Matsukawa and Hanamaki are dead,_ the war god said grimly. Kuroo sighed.

"So are Kai and Yamamoto. It's just a shitty day all around," the Nekoma Guildmaster growled. Kenma leaped sideways, avoiding another fire attack, then bounded forward the last few steps into the shelter of the forest. The fireballs stopped flying - apparently, even when on orders to kill his friends, Bokuto didn't want to burn down the forest - and Kuroo slid off Kenma's back. Kuroo turned back toward the town, and saw Bokuto approaching the tree line, flames flickering around his hands and arms. Overhead, the overlapping wing beats of a flock of birds sounded. As Bokuto stepped into the forest, the crows landed, encircling the fire mage, who eyed them reluctantly. Several took on their human forms, including Ukai and a man Kuroo didn't recognize.

"If you get in my way, I'll have to kill you, too," Bokuto warned, his gaze flickering from potential familiar to potential familiar, landing on Ukai and the man beside him. "Even you, Takeda."

"You won't be killing anyone," Ukai snapped, the air around him swirling menacingly.

"Surrender, Bokuto. Don't make us take you down," the one Bokuto had called Takeda pleaded. The flames around Bokuto only grew.

"I can't do that. I have to kill Kuroo and Kenma," the fire mage replied grimly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, the battle between Kuroo and Bokuto continues!


	15. The Battle Between Allies Part Two

Bokuto surrounded himself with flames and charged, ignoring the crows and heading straight for Kuroo and Kenma. Ukai stepped between them, and Bokuto's feet were swept off the ground by the air currents the leader of the crows sent at him. Bokuto lashed out as he fell, sending a wave of fire in all directions. The crows flew above it, but Kuroo and Kenma threw themselves to the ground, so the flames passed harmlessly overhead. Bokuto took advantage of this, sending a stream of fire across the ground. Kuroo barely managed to get his shadows up in time to block the attack, and Bokuto was on his feet before the crows recovered from dodging his fire. Bokuto darted forward, flames in hand, only to stop in his tracks as a black sword sliced through the air in front of him. The fire mage turned his head and found Iwaizumi standing there, bringing his weapon up, preparing to attack again.

Bokuto spun away, trailing flames in his wake, this time not aiming at anyone in particular. Sparks landed in the trees and undergrowth, caught, and flared up. The crows diverted their attention to putting out the fire, while Iwaizumi pursued Bokuto. The fire mage stopped and held his ground, bringing his hand up to catch Iwaizumi's sword in his hand. Bokuto hissed as the black metal bit into his palm, but there wasn't enough force behind the blow to do too much damage.

"You're holding back," Bokuto growled, sending flames along the blade. Iwaizumi let go of the hilt and moved back to avoid getting his hand singed, eyeing Bokuto warily. "If you want to save Kuroo, you can't do that." Iwaizumi's eyes widened, and he glanced at the shadow mage, who was watching the exchange from a safe distance. Bokuto took advantage of the momentary distraction, flipping the sword and catching it in his uninjured hand, then thrusting with the weapon, piercing Iwaizumi's shoulder. The war god shouted and staggered backward, no longer blocking Bokuto's path to Kuroo and Kenma.

The fire mage darted past Iwaizumi, shooting a few more plumes of fire into the forest to keep the crows distracted, and closed in on the shadow mage. Roots shot up from the ground, wrapping around his ankles and pulling them out from under him. Bokuto hit the ground hard, and before he could burn the roots away, Kuroo was on him, shadows wrapping around the fire mage's body and pinning him in place. Bokuto hissed, sparks erupting around him as he tried to burn through the shadows. After a few seconds, he gave up on that and inhaled deeply, preparing to breathe fire into Kuroo's face as his friend leaned over him. To Bokuto's surprise, no flames left his mouth. He scowled and tried again, but to no avail.

"Turns out that one of Ukai's crows, Tashiro, has some magic suppression ability," Iwaizumi commented. Bokuto scowled and twisted in his restraints, noticing a small, unusually fluffy crow perched on his knee. Bokuto tried thrashing to throw the bird off, but it clung tightly to its perch.

"Tashiro isn't strong enough to suppress your magic even as much as Suga can, but with a little injury, some distractions, and wearing you out a bit, it looks like it's just enough to do the trick," Ukai commented, his tone pleased. Takeda moved forward and crouched beside Bokuto.

"Don't worry. We'll find a way to rescue Akaashi," the forest spirit assured him. Bokuto scowled.

"If I don't kill Kuroo and Kenma, it won't matter if you figure out how to save Akaashi or not, because the Warden will probably have already killed him," the fire mage spat. "As soon as I get out of these shadows, I'm going to do what I have to in order to protect him."

"In that case, I should get you out of there quickly," a new voice announced. The crows and their allies tensed, turning toward the source of the voice. Akaashi was walking toward them. "I'm impressed that you managed to get the jump on Bokuto. But Kuroo is wearing down, probably from using his shadows to speed up his travel, and Iwaizumi is injured, and you don't have a second magic-suppressor in your group." As he moved toward them, Akaashi's form shifted. By the time he stopped just out of range of any physical attacks, Akaashi had grown taller, his features were inhumanly smooth, and his ears were more delicate and pointed. He'd returned to the form he'd used before he bonded with Bokuto. "Koutarou," Akaashi said, "the Warden decided that I should fight with you this time, since she sensed so many enemies in the area. Apparently it will be good practice for when the real attack comes." Bokuto closed his eyes for a long moment, resigned.

"Then let's finish this and get back before she decides to control you again," Bokuto replied. Akaashi nodded, and their former allies waited, wondering what Akaashi would do.

The trees around them burst into motion, roots churning the ground beneath their feet, limbs lashing the air. Vines shot out, lashing at their former allies. Takeda tried to manipulate the plants away from the others, but Akaashi noticed and directed one of the saplings behind Takeda to lean forward and wrap around him, pinning his arms to his sides. Ukai tried to free Takeda with his wind, and Iwaizumi pulled the sword out of his shoulder and hacked at the encroaching plants with it, only to have the weapon swatted from his hand. The war god scowled and summoned another weapon, but before he could do anything with it, one of the branches from a nearby tree shot into the wound from the sword, impaling Iwaizumi and lifting him off the ground as he shouted and writhed. Akaashi walked forward, the one calm person in the chaos of the moving forest, and faced Kuroo and Kenma, Bokuto on the ground between them. Without taking his eyes off the astonished shadow mage and his familiar, Akaashi leaned down and swatted Tashiro from Bokuto's knee, hard enough that the crow tumbled right into the waiting roots of a bush.

"So that's why you have a reputation as one of the strongest forest spirits," Kuroo commented. Akaashi eyed him warily, then shrugged and flicked his wrist. Vines dropped from the trees, wrapping around Kenma before he or Kuroo realized what was happening. Kenma let out an irritated hiss and shifted to his house cat form, hoping a smaller shape would help him escape the vines. It didn't. Kuroo turned to cut through the vines with his shadows, and while he was distracted, Bokuto burst free from the dark restraints he'd been wrapped in, flames dancing around him as he advanced on his friend.

There was a snarl from the direction of Ukai and Takeda, and the leader of the crows gave up trying to free Takeda directly and went for Akaashi instead, using a sharp wind to blow the forest spirit into Bokuto, who banished his flames so as not to injure his familiar. With Akaashi caught off balance, the plants paused for a moment, just long enough for everyone to disentangle themselves. Bokuto and Akaashi quickly regained their balance, though, and stood back to back, facing the circle of crow group members, Iwaizumi, and Kuroo and Kenma.

"We need to retreat," Iwaizumi said, ignoring the wound in his shoulder as he stepped toward them. "We can't win against both of them, not without taking casualties."

"You have a point," the leader of the crows replied. Kuroo looked like he wanted to protest.

"We'll come back for them," Kenma murmured, taking his mage's hand and pulling him back a step. Roots shot out of the ground, trying to wrap around their ankles, but Ukai managed to use his winds to keep the Nekoma pair from being ensnared.

"Kuroo, you first," Iwaizumi ordered. "We'll hold them off." Kenma turned and started dragging Kuroo away, and Bokuto and Akaashi both targeted them, Bokuto with flames and Akaashi with more plants. Iwaizumi lunged, sword hacking through the thinner branches and vines and using his body to block the ones too thick to cut. Several of the plants cut into him, and he grunted in pain. Once Kenma and Kuroo were out of sight, the crows fled, taking to the sky and circling, ready to dive down again to help Iwaizumi if he needed it. But the war god simply vanished, using his power to return to his mage.

Bokuto and Akaashi were left standing in the forest, wondering what punishment the Warden had in store for them for failing. Akaashi stiffened, the Warden taking control.

"Return to your room. We will discuss your failure when you return." Then Akaashi turned, still under the Warden's control, and began walking back toward the town. Bokuto followed wordlessly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's alotment of Akaashi fighting people brought to you by Lady Kururu, who mentioned she wanted to see him in action.


	16. The Final Battle Part One

Oikawa paced, ignoring the pitying looks Daichi was giving him. He didn't need pity, damn it. He needed to know what was going on. Iwaizumi had just vanished without a word, in the middle of discussing how to handle the light mages Ushijima had sent to Windswept and the Warden, the two main obstacles to ending the war. Tsukishima was sitting at the other end of the room, Yamaguchi using his lap as a pillow as he slept. All the healers were worn out - two pairs had been worn out healing Ennoshita and Tanaka after the enchanter ran out of power and got injured, causing his familiar to rampage without the shield charm that kept him from getting hurt - but Yamaguchi had overworked himself more than most. Oikawa suspected it was the freckled familiar's lingering feelings of guilt over not being able to save Matsukawa and Hanamaki, but he didn't want to talk about them, so he hadn't said anything. Instead, Oikawa had focused on planning, not that they had enough information to really formulate a plan to deal with either of their biggest obstacles. The Aoba Josei Guildmaster's gaze fell on the light mage who was quietly stroking his familiar's hair. Honestly, Oikawa didn't know why the light mage was still around.

"Tsukishima," Oikawa said, deciding that interacting with the grouchy light mage was better than aimlessly pacing and waiting for Iwaizumi to come back. Suga had tried to convince Tsukishima to tell them more about what Ushijima's strategy for the other light mages was, but Tsukishima had flatly refused.

"No," the light mage replied without looking up from his familiar. Oikawa resisted the urge to scowl, and maybe smack the younger mage.

"You'd think someone as wrapped around his familiar's finger as you are would be more open to helping like he wants," Oikawa commented instead. Daichi shot the other enchanter a warning look, which Oikawa ignored.

"I am not wrapped around-" Tsukishima stopped talking as Yamaguchi yawned and sat up. "You overdid it. Again," Tsukishima grumbled. Yamaguchi stretched and leaned against the mage's shoulder.

"Sorry, Tsukki," the familiar mumbled. "Had to help. But I'm okay now, I promise," he added, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Oikawa tilted his head, tentatively reaching out to sense Yamaguchi's energy level. To his suprise, the familiar seemed almost as good as new. The other healers, including Kiyoko, were still sleeping under the protection of two Karasuno pairs - Asahi and his familiar, and Ennoshita and Tanaka, if Oikawa remembered right from when Daichi had given the orders.

"Shut up, Yamaguchi," Tsukishima huffed. Oikawa watched them for a moment.

"Yamaguchi, if you're feeling better, maybe you could tell us more about those illusions you mentioned earlier," Suga suggested before Oikawa could say anything. Yamaguchi blinked, then frowned at Tsukishima.

"You didn't tell them anything while I was asleep?" Before the light mage could reply, his familiar sighed. "Never mind. There are a few different kinds. The ones Ushijima was planning to use on Iwaizumi are solid light illusions, made to look, sound, and even feel like a real person. I don't know exactly what he wanted them to do with the illusions, but..." Tsukishima grimaced, glanced at Yamaguchi, then growled before speaking.

"Everyone knows Iwaizumi is attached to Oikawa," Tsukishima said, lifting his gaze to meet Oikawa's. "So just imagine, if Iwaizumi is fighting, and all of a sudden, he hears you screaming. And turns around and sees you're being attacked. But as soon as he saves you, there are more enemies, and you're still screaming, but this time there are three or four of you, and he can't tell which one is real." Tsukishima shrugged and settled against the wall more comfortably, pointedly ignoring how deathly silent the other people in the room were, and how pale Oikawa was.

"We don't have enough magic suppressors to deal with more than one or two light mages, especially if they're working together on something like that," Suga said quietly. Then he added thoughtfully, "Do these solid light illusions burn? Or hold up in the wind?"

"No, they don't, unless the light mage puts extra effort into it," Yamaguchi replied.

"Then why don't we send Hinata and Kageyama with Oikawa and Iwaizumi when we attack Windswept?" Suga suggested. "Daichi, you and I can take a group to go after the Warden. Once she's out of the picture, Kuroo can get Bokuto and Akaashi somewhere safe. Who knows what kind of shape those two are in?"

"They're in pretty good shape if you ask me," Iwaizumi grunted, appearing between Oikawa and Daichi. The war god stumbled and caught himself on the table in the middle of the room with one hand, his other hand pressed to his shoulder, where the largest of several wounds was staining his shirt dark red. Oikawa sprang forward to steady his familiar, his cheeks white with shock and fear, but pulled back once Iwaizumi regained his balance, his expression dark. Yamaguchi scrambled to his feet and darted to the war god's side, reaching out to heal him. Tsukishima was too astonished by Iwaizumi's sudden appearance and his battered state to object to Yamaguchi going to heal again so soon.

"Iwaizumi, what happened?" Daichi asked, glancing worriedly at Oikawa, who seemed at a loss for words for once.

"Kuroo and Kenma found Bokuto and Akaashi," Iwaizumi sighed, shifting to sit on the edge of the table. Yamaguchi made a disgruntled sound and kept healing him. "Bokuto didn't hesitate. He was fighting to kill. The crows and I barely managed to subdue him. Then Akaashi showed up. The whole damn forest came at us." Iwaizumi grimaced. "When we attack Windswept, we'll probably have to fight those two, and they won't be holding back." Suga and Daichi exchanged grim looks.

"We'll take them on," Oikawa growled, speaking for the first time since Iwaizumi had returned. "I won't hold back, not after what they've done to my Iwa-chan." The enchanter's eyes glittered dangerously. "Send the shrimp and his crow if you want. But Bokuto and Akaashi are mine. We just have to get them somewhere there aren't any plants for the forest spirit to use." Daichi hesitated.

"With Hinata there, they have a chance of holding those two off long enough for us to find the Warden," Suga pointed out. Daichi frowned, but nodded.

"All right. Hinata and Kageyama will go with Oikawa and Iwaizumi to face Bokuto and Akaashi. Suga and I will take a team after the Warden, since Suga's magic suppression should give us a shot at defeating her. That leaves the light mages."

"Kindaichi can handle them," Iwaizumi said. "Especially if you send some of the Karasuno pairs with him. The more we devote to that, the better."

"Because once they're done with the light mages, they'll be free to help wherever they're needed," Daichi mused. "If we send Kindaichi with all three of the remaining Karasuno pairs, that should be plenty of power. Then Ukai and his crows can work with the rest of Aoba Josei to take care of the low-ranking mages." Iwaizumi nodded thoughtfully.

"That just leaves the problem of who to bring with us," Suga said.

"What about Kuroo and Kenma?" Daichi suggested. "We've worked with them before, and I'm sure they'll be eager to get a piece of the Warden."

"You should take one more pair," Iwaizumi put in. "Your best bet is probably to distract the Warden so she can't take control of anyone, then have Suga move in, right? And if she manages to get control of one person, having someone besides that person's bonded mage or familiar there to help would be good."

"We'll do it," Tsukishima spoke up, standing. Everyone in the room froze and gaped at the light mage in shock. Yamaguchi beamed and left off healing Iwaizumi to throw his arms around Tsukishima, who caught him and frowned.

"What made you decide to help?" Daichi asked. Tsukishima glanced at Iwaizumi, who was mostly healed already, with only the bloodstains on his shirt to show that he'd been covered in wounds a few minutes before.

"If I keep Yamaguchi out of this, and one of you dies, he'd blame himself," Tsukishima explained. "He's already worked himself to exhaustion once over one pair dying. I'd rather not have that repeated. Which means you need to rest," he added, glaring down at the freckled familiar in his arms. Yamaguchi grinned.

"All right," he agreed cheerfully. "And I know it's not just because of me. You want a shot at the Warden, too," Yamaguchi added. "Because if it weren't for her Guild making an alliance with Moonlit Shadows, none of this would have happened." Tsukishima huffed, but didn't deny it.

"Iwaizumi, could you let everyone know what the plan is?" Daichi asked.

"Of course. But after that, since the healers are still resting, I want to have some time to myself," the war god replied. Daichi glanced at Oikawa, who hadn't spoken since announcing his desire to take Bokuto and Akaashi on.

"I'll make sure you're not disturbed," Daichi assured him. Iwaizumi nodded his thanks, then set about broadcasting the plan for the upcoming battle to their allies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, would anyone be interested in a oneshot of what Iwaizumi and Oikawa are up to between this chapter and setting out to fight Windswept?


	17. The Final Battle Part Two

Hinata and Kageyama stood side by side, arms crossed and matching displeased expressions in place as they faced Oikawa and Iwaizumi. They'd spent the whole journey to Windswept avoiding the Guildmaster and his familiar, but now that everyone was gathered outside of town, waiting for the signal to attack, Hinata and Kageyama couldn't avoid them anymore.

"We're not happy about this," Hinata announced. Beside him, Kageyama nodded sharply in agreement.

"You don't have to be happy about it. You just have to not get in my way," Oikawa replied.

"Enough," Iwaizumi said. Oikawa turned to pout at him, and Kageyama scowled. "Hinata, you don't like us because of Kageyama's history with Oikawa. Kageyama, you're mad because you felt abandoned. I get that. What I don't understand is why you can't move past that, since you've obviously found a mage you're completely devoted to." Hinata and Kageyama exchanged surprised looks. "We need to work together, or none of us are going to make it out of this battle. Bokuto and Akaashi will be fighting with everything they have, and protecting each other. We'll have to do the same if we're going to keep them busy while the others take down the Warden."

"So you don't have anything against Kageyama?" Hinata asked, tilting his head. "You were really angry at him before."

"As long as Kageyama isn't suggesting Oikawa sever our bond, I don't have a problem with him. Oikawa is mine, and I'm not letting him go. So if you two do your parts, it'll be easier for me to protect him, and that means you're okay in my book," Iwaizumi replied.

 _Iwaizumi, it's time,_ came Daichi's voice through Iwaizumi's connection to the pendent the Karasuno Guildmaster wore. The war god took a deep breath and reached out to all of the pendents, to all of their allies.

 _Go,_ he said simply. _Let's end this._

"I can sense Bokuto and Akaashi," Kageyama said. "Follow me." He set off, headed into town, and Hinata followed on his heels. Oikawa hung back just long enough to brush his lips against Iwaizumi's.

"No holding back this time," the enchanter murmured.

"Don't worry. I won't make that mistake again," Iwaizumi replied. Together they followed Hinata and Kageyama into town. Bokuto and Akaashi were waiting outside the Windswept Guild Hall.

"Iwaizumi, you're looking well," Akaashi commented. Oikawa bristled, but Iwaizumi put a hand on his arm.

"You look terrible," the war god replied. Akaashi's eyes had dark circles under them, as though he hadn't been sleeping, and from his stance, just a little farther from Bokuto than he would have stood before they got captured, something about the fire mage was bothering him. Iwaizumi shook his head and summoned a sword in each hand, as well as black armor that covered him from head to toe. Kageyama shifted to crow form and settled himself on Hinata's shoulder. Akaashi stiffened, and Bokuto growled.

"What do you want, Warden? We're guarding the door, just like you said," the fire mage growled. Oikawa tilted his head, watching Akaashi intently.

"I want Kageyama alive, and the hybrid. Get rid of the war god and the enchanter," Akaashi said. Oikawa smirked.

"Interesting," he murmured to himself. "Shorty, if you can keep Bokuto busy for a bit, Iwa-chan and I will take down Akaashi."

"Sounds fine to me," Hinata replied, lifting his arms. Flames swirled around the hybrid mage, and wind rushed forward, sweeping between Bokuto and Akaashi and pushing them farther apart. Iwaizumi darted forward, his movements smooth and powerful despite the weight of the armor, and he slashed at the forest spirit with his full strength. Akaashi stepped back, roots shooting out of the ground to intercept the blow. Iwaizumi's swords easily sliced through the plants, and he advanced. Bokuto sent a wall of flame to wash over Iwaizumi, but Oikawa redirected it so it was headed toward Akaashi instead. Hinata made a slashing motion with one hand, and a blade of air hit Bokuto in the thigh, cutting deep and making the fire mage drop to one knee. "We're the ones you should be focusing on!" Hinata exclaimed, sending a stream of fire at Bokuto, who matched it with one of his own. The two streams of fire met in the middle, each trying to push the other back.

"Koutarou!" Akaashi shouted, noticing the mage's wound. He couldn't do anything to help his mage, because Iwaizumi was steadily forcing him back. Akaashi reached for more plants to defend himself, but none came. Oikawa's smirk grew. He'd managed to redirect Akaashi's magic, so the forest spirit's call for plants had gone into the sky overhead instead of into the ground. Iwaizumi struck again, and this time Akaashi didn't dodge in time. The blade of one of Iwaizumi's swords bit into Akaashi's arm, and the other blade swept his feet from beneath him. Akaashi screamed and went down hard. Iwaizumi stood over the forest spirit, holding one blade against his neck threateningly.

"Akaashi!" Bokuto's attention wavered, and Hinata pressed forward, adding wind to his flame attack. Bokuto's magic scattered, and Hinata's rushed forward, wrapping around the fire mage, the air lifting him and throwing him against the wall of the Guild Hall.

"Kageyama, let's try that thing Kindaichi does," Hinata said. The crow on his shoulder tightened his grip, and then the air rushed out of Bokuto's lungs. The fire mage gasped for breath, summoned fireballs and launched them in the direction of the hybrid, but with no air, his aim was off, and the fireballs flew harmlessly over Hinata's head. Bokuto twitched one more time, then slumped, unconscious. Hinata released his magic, and the fire mage's breathing stuttered, but resumed. "We did it!" Hinata exclaimed, reaching up to lift the crow from his shoulder. "You're amazing, Kageyama!" he cheered, hugging the crow to his chest happily.

"Don't celebrate just yet," Oikawa said. "If the team fighting the Warden doesn't win, she might be able to wake him up, and once he sees the shape Akaashi is in, he'll be really unhappy with us." Hinata frowned and let go of Kageyama, who returned to human form.

"Oikawa?" Kageyama said hesitantly. The Guildmaster eyed him warily. "When the Warden took control of Akaashi, did you feel it?" Oikawa nodded. "It kind of felt like Kuroo's magic, didn't it?"

There was a pause as Oikawa considered this. Then he nodded.

"Not exactly, but the feel was similar," he admitted.

"That could explain why the Warden was pushing Bokuto and Akaashi to kill Kuroo," Iwaizumi commented. "If her magic is similar to his shadow manipulation, he might be resistant to her powers."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> http://asternara.tumblr.com/post/139619358597/could-you-draw-iwaizumi-in-armor-like-in-the-final  
> This amazing person drew Iwaizumi in black armor and said I could link to it to show you guys. This is what Iwa's war God armor looks like!


	18. The Final Battle Part Three

The Warden paused, sensing enemies near Bokuto and Akaashi. She took a moment to figure out who exactly they were facing. She smiled to herself when she recognized Kageyama's presence, then sighed when she recognized Oikawa's. That enchanter was trouble, she knew, but hopefully he wouldn't be doing well after how injured Iwaizumi had gotten the last time he faced Bokuto and Akaashi.

"There you are," someone growled. The Warden tensed and turned around. Three pairs faced her: Kuroo and Kenma, Daichi and Sugawara, and...was that a light mage and a spotted stag? Tsukishima and his familiar must have thrown their lot in with Karasuno and Aoba Josei after all. The Warden shrugged. As long as she could take down Kuroo first, and then deal with Sugawara, she wasn't too worried.

"Kuroo, I didn't think you and Kenma would come back so quickly after losing to Bokuto," the Warden mused. "Daichi, I expected you and Sugawara. I wonder if you've seen the Guildmaster yet. Michimiya's missed you two. And I don't think I've officially met you two, but you're Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, right?" All six of them tensed, and the Warden smirked. "Let's see. Who should I get first?" She tilted her head as though contemplating, then clapped her hands together. "I know! Since Bokuto and Akaashi failed to kill Kuroo, I'll just have to do it myself!" she decided. Kuroo's jaw clenched, and Kenma shifted to his lion form. The Warden smirked and blurred forward, shadows swirling around her and puling her along so she blurred with speed. She slipped between the shadow mage and his familiar, dragging her claws along Kenma's flank as she passed, accomplishing two things: one, the lion roared in pain and surprise and staggered, and two, she left a trickle of magic connecting her to the familiar. She could have taken him then, but decided against it. The connection was made; she could activate it whenever she wanted. It wouldn't be her full-strength possession, but it would be enough. She turned and faced them, only to find herself in the middle of a crowd of enemy mages. She tensed, then remembered that Tsukishima was among her opponents.

The Warden shook her head and closed her eyes, ignoring the illusionary enemies and focusing on Kuroo and Kenma. They were going down first. She shifted to her panther form and raced forward, using the shadows to slam into Kuroo before he even realized she'd gotten her bearings after the illusions appeared. The shadow mage recovered even as he fell, sending blades of shadows toward her stomach as her claws tore into his shoulders. The Warden threw herself sideways, her claws tearing at the edges of the wounds she'd just inflicted as she dodged Kuroo's shadows. The shadow mage snarled at the pain, but didn't scream like she'd expected. The illusions crowded around, and she ignored them as she focused on the locations of her actual opponents. With Kuroo down and her magic hooked into Kenma, she turned her attention to Sugawara and Daichi. She couldn't risk taking control of Sugawara, not with his magic canceling ability, but Daichi... The Warden bared her teeth and darted toward the enchanter. He saw her coming and stepped back, lifting his hands, magic gathering as he prepared a defense. She couldn't smirk in her panther form, so she shifted to human form and dug her nails into his forearms as she collided with him, letting her magic wash over him. Kenma attacked, recovered from the slashes on his side - Yamaguchi must have healed him when the Warden wasn't looking - tried to sink his fangs into her arm.

 _Stop,_ she ordered, activating her connection to the lion familiar. Kenma froze, his eyes wide as his jaws refused to close around her arm. _Go chew on Tsukishima instead._ Kenma turned and lunged for the light mage, claws and fangs bared. Tsukishima barely managed to register that his ally was attacking him and throw himself out of the way before Kenma landed where the light mage had been an instant before, claws scraping the floor. The Warden's smirk grew as she returned her attention to Daichi, who was still standing with his arms up and her nails piercing his skin. She could feel his mind struggling against her hold, but she'd activated her powers with the first touch, and had managed to enthrall him just as deeply as she had Akaashi. She released his arm and looked around for Sugawara.

Suga was not happy with the way the battle was going. He'd noticed a shadow lingering around Kenma after the Warden's first strike, and he saw when she lunged for Daichi. Now, Daichi wasn't fighting her off, he was just...standing there. Unlike Kenma, who was chasing Tsukishima around the room, while the Warden had taken control of Daichi, she apparently hadn't decided what to make him do yet. Suga slipped behind Daichi and wrapped his arms around the enchanter's waist, putting all of his energy into cancelling whatever magic the Warden was using. He found the spell, tangled around Daichi's head and clinging to his arms, where the Warden's nails had drawn blood. Something sharp dug into Suga's fingers, and he felt a spell like the one around Daichi flowing through him. Suga fought, pushing back with all his strength. He managed to push the magic out of his own body, but the spell on Daichi wasn't shifting the slightest.

A rush of fresh energy flowed into him, and Suga smiled slightly, recognizing the feel of Yamaguchi's magic as the other familiar replenished Suga's already-falling energy levels. Suga sent a fresh surge of power into Daichi and managed to push the spell away from the enchanter's mind enough that he got a better feel for how it moved. The power felt familiar, but he didn't place it immediately. A short distance away, Kuroo got to his feet, and Suga realized he wasn't the only one Yamaguchi had been revitalizing. The shadow mage lashed out, wrapping tendrils of darkness around Kenma's legs so the lion tripped and fell, letting Tsukishima catch his breath. Suga's eyes widened. That's why the magic felt familiar, and it wasn't just because he'd sensed the Warden's powers before.

"Kuroo! She's using some form of shadow magic!" Suga called, shifting the way he was trying to cancel her magic. At Suga's words, Tsukishima immediately turned toward a very disgruntled Kenma and sent a wave of light magic over him. At the same time, Kuroo reached for the magic the Warden had left on Kenma, trying to pull the shadowy power away from his familiar.

"I should have killed you years ago, before you bonded with Daichi," the Warden hissed, renewing her effort to keep her magic wrapped around Daichi. Suga snarled, a fresh wave of energy from Yamaguchi letting him gain a little more ground against her spell.

"Yeah, you should have. Back then, I tried to stay out of conflicts. But now I have something to fight for, and I won't let you have Daichi. He's _my_ mage," Suga hissed. The Warden growled, and Suga narrowed his power, sliding it beneath hers, between the spell and Daichi's mind, instead of trying to push it off. At the same time, Kuroo succeeded in pulling the edge of the shadowy power away from Kenma, and Tsukishima's light magic swept over the lion, checking for any lingering shadows. The Warden gasped and staggered, nearly falling from the apparent backlash of having her control over Kenma revoked. As she regained her balance, Suga finished sliding his magic between her spell and Daichi, then poured everything he had into lifting her spell.

The Warden's magic shattered, and she let out a scream that was half surprise and half fury. Daichi would have collapsed from the abrupt lack of the Warden's magic holding him in place, but Suga's arms were still around him, supporting him. Suga took several steps back, hauling Daichi with him, and then let go of his mage and darted toward the Warden.

"Yamaguchi!" Suga called as he threw himself at their enemy. Yamaguchi got the message, and sent as much regenerating strength to Suga as he could, even though the healer was running low on power himself. Suga tackled the Warden, who hissed as she fell and dug her nails into his stomach. Suga winced, but the pain didn't stop him from using all of the energy Yamaguchi had given him to suppress the Warden's power. She shifted to her panther form, and her fangs plunged into his shoulder, barely missing his neck. Suga screamed and redoubled his efforts to suppress her. Her claws tore at his stomach and chest, and he was running out of energy fast. He'd hoped the backlash from losing control of Daichi would weaken her more, but it seemed she had more power left than he'd thought. Yamaguchi tried to send more energy to Suga, but just trying made him fall to his knees. Kenma closed in and plunged his claws into the Warden's hide, a snarl rumbling in his chest. Kuroo added his shadows, using them to bind the Warden's limbs.

Daichi joined them, and as soon as his hands touched Suga's back, strengthening and energizing charms settled over him. Tsukishima's light magic joined the struggle a moment later, weakening the not-quite-shadow-magic the Warden was trying not to let Suga block. One last wave of Yamaguchi's power swept over Suga, lessening the pain of his wounds, and then Yamaguchi collapsed, utterly spent. Suga growled, and the violet eyes of the Warden widened in disbelief as the suppression snapped into place. One of Daichi's charms settled over their enemy next, locking Suga's suppression in place. Then Tsukishima's light magic slipped into place, in case she managed to weaken the magical restraints, then Kuroo's shadows wrapped her in a cocoon, preventing even the slightest movement. Kenma removed his claws and stepped back. Kuroo and Tsukishima sat abruptly, staring at the tangle of spells wrapped around their enemy. Daichi lifted his hands from Suga's back and sighed. Suga didn't move.

"Iwaizumi, when you have a minute, anyone who can do restraint charms and come healers would be welcome, if you could send them," Daichi said, gripping his pendent. He frowned, noting that Suga still hadn't moved away from the Warden's restraining cocoon, and he seemed to be breathing heavily. The enchanter reached out, touching his familiar's shoulder, intending to gently ease him away from the enemy. Instead, Suga fell back, his body not resisting the tug at all. Suga landed on his back, and Daichi's breath rushed out of him as he realized his familiar was covered in blood. The shadows Kuroo had been using must have caught most of what had already spilled out of the numerous slashes Suga had taken to the stomach and chest, or there would be a pool of red around the familiar now. For a second, Daichi was frozen, his eyes wide with horror. Then he shouted, "Suga!" and fell to his knees beside his familiar. Distantly, he heard Kuroo say something about healers, _now_ , and knew he had to be using his pendent to talk to Iwaizumi. But Daichi didn't care what Kuroo was doing or who he was talking to, because Suga was much too pale, and his breath was coming in short, shallow gasps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will probably be an epilogue, depending on which of the 3 endings I decide on. I might post all 3 endings, and then everyone can have whichever ending they like best. I also might pick one official ending and then post alternate endings. Let me know what you think.  
> Also, I realized I never addressed the Warden "discussing" Bokuto and Akaashi's punishment for not killing Kuroo. Are there any gluttons for pain that want me to write that? I could post it as a separate oneshot or as another chapter of Jessed Owls.  
> Other possible oneshots include: AsaNoya origins, KuroKen origins, more KageHina stuff, Warden origins because every villain needs a backstory, Lev-centric thing, BokuAka recovery fic, etc. If anyone has a suggestion/request, let me know.


	19. Epilogue

Daichi paced anxiously, casting worried glances at Kiyoko and Yachi, who were kneeling beside Suga's prone body. He knew Kiyoko was a water mage with healing abilities, and Yachi was apparently some sort of healer on par with Yamaguchi, but that didn't make him any less terrified that they wouldn't have enough strength to save Suga.

"You have to try to relax," Kuroo sighed. Daichi shot him a glare, and the shadow mage shrugged. "I get it. Suga's hurt, you're pissed, but pacing around like that is only making Yachi nervous," he said, glancing pointedly at the familiar in question, who tensed every time Daichi's pacing brought him closer to her. Daichi growled and sat next to Kuroo, who had a lap full of Kenma in house cat form.

"Why hasn't Kenma turned back to human form?" Daichi asked, trying to distract himself. Kuroo suppressed a snicker, then let out an undignified squeak when Kenma dug his claws into the mage's thigh.

"Remember how Kenma and I fought Bokuto and Akaashi in the forest?" Kuroo asked. Daichi nodded slowly. "Well, when Akaashi joined in, he used these vines to grab Kenma. It turns out they were poison oak vines. The healers have been kind of preoccupied with saving lives, so Kenma only got a brief healing before the battle. He's fine in cat or lion form, but when he's in human form, he still has this terrible rash all over him, and it itches like crazy." Daichi stared from Kuroo to the cat in his lap, not sure if he should believe this or not. The way Kenma was glaring at Kuroo, ears flat against his skull and tail twitching in irritation, Daichi decided that Kuroo was probably telling the truth. They were silent for a few minutes, and Daichi found himself watching the healers work on Suga, worry clawing at his stomach.

"Tsukishima," Daichi said, trying to distract himself again. The light mage, who was sitting on the other side of Kuroo, with his own familiar sleeping soundly in his lap, looked up and raised an eyebrow curiously. "What are you planning to do now that the war is basically over?"

"I don't know," Tsukishima answered with a shrug.

"You could join Karasuno," Daichi offered. "We have to rebuild our Guild Hall, but with everyone working together, it won't take long." Tsukishima leaned back against the wall.

"I'll think about it," he said.

"You should come to Nekoma instead," Kuroo piped up. "I've been thinking for a while that you'd fit in with us. You and Yamaguchi would do well with Nekoma." Tsukishima glanced at Kuroo, then closed his eyes.

"I'll think about it," he repeated. "I'm not making any decisions without Yamaguchi though."

"Neither of us thought you would," Daichi chuckled. The three of them fell silent again.

"What are we going to do with the Warden?" Kuroo asked after a while.

"It takes too much magic to make sure she's contained, and we can't risk her escaping and controlling people again," Daichi replied.

"So you think we should execute her," Tsukishima said flatly.

"I think we don't really have a choice," Daichi sighed.

"I think you're right," Kuroo admitted. "But who would actually execute her?"

"Iwaizumi," Tsukishima suggested. "And not because I don't like him," he added before Daichi or Kuroo could say anything. "Just that he's tough, and he managed to work with Hinata and Kageyama, right? That means he can put aside his feelings and get the job done."

"He'd carry out the execution because it was necessary, not because he wanted to kill her," Kuroo agreed.

"Speaking of wanting to kill the Warden," Daichi said hesitantly. "I think Bokuto should do it. It could give him closure after everything she's done to him and Akaashi."

"You want to use him as an executioner? Isn't that one of the things the Warden used him for?" Tsukishima objected. Kuroo nodded his agreement.

"I don't think having Bokuto execute her would be a good idea," the shadow mage said. "You know Bokuto; he's emotional on a good day. Being asked to execute someone he actually wants to kill? He'll be conflicted. One the one hand, he hates killing in cold blood, and since the Warden made him do it, he might feel used. On the other hand, I'm sure he really does want her dead."

"I still think we should ask him," Daichi insisted. "Although, if Suga doesn't pull through, the Warden won't make it to an official execution," he added darkly, glaring at the shadow cocoon that still contained their enemy.

"We'll put it to a vote or something," Kuroo suggested. "And make sure Bokuto knows he's free to turn down being executioner." Across the room, Kiyoko sighed and sat back on her heels, and Yachi yawned. Daichi was immediately on his feet and crossing the room.

"Is he okay?" the enchanter demanded. Yachi squeaked, and Kiyoko reached over and rested a hand on her familiar's shoulder soothingly.

"Ask him yourself," Kiyoko replied gently. She stood, pulled Yachi to her feet, and stepped back. Daichi fell to his knees beside his familiar and tentatively brushed a few strands of soft gray hair away from his face.

"Suga?" he whispered, terrified that he wouldn't get a response, and for a moment, he didn't, and Daichi thought his heart might just stop right then. "Koushi, please..." Suga's warm brown eyes opened, and he smiled up at Daichi.

"Hey," the familiar murmured, sitting up with a wince. Daichi nearly fell over with relief. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Suga and pulled him against his chest. "I'm okay, Daichi. Really."

"Koushi," Daichi rasped, burying his face in his familiar's hair. "I thought I'd lost you." Suga shifted slightly, ignoring the lingering twinge of discomfort in his torso, and slid his arms around Daichi's neck.

"You can't get rid of me that easily," Suga murmured. Daichi let out a noise that was half laugh and half sob as he tightened his arms around Suga.

Across the room, Kuroo considered teasing the pair, but when he glanced down at Kenma and remembered that the Warden's opening attack had left his familiar with slashes on his side, he realized that teasing them might hit a little too close to home, and decided against it.

Hours later, after a lengthy debate with all of the leaders of the alliance, it was decided that Bokuto should be the one to execute the Warden. He accepted, despite the worry on Kuroo's face and the tension in Akaashi's posture as he did so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where the road diverges. There will be three separate endings, and each will be posted as a different fic. They'll be titled "Bokuto's Ending", "Kuroo's Ending", and "Warden's Ending". Anything else that gets posted in this series will be little things that either follow certain pairs after one of the endings, or background and world building.   
> Thank you so much to everyone who's stuck with me through all of the chaos and death and suffering!


End file.
